Baked Feta Cheese with Olives

Name: Baked Feta Cheese with Olives
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) Greek feta cheese; 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil; 3 strips orange rind; 3 strips lemon rind; 1 tbsp (20 ml) lemon juice (See Note 1); 1 cup mixed olives (See Note 2); 3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (See Note 3); 1 long red chilli - or to taste (See Note 4)

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My Baked Feta Cheese with Olives is an appetiser that everyone will love! This Mediterranean dish has feta cheese, baked to perfection with fresh herbs, chilli and aromatic citrus peels, all doused in extra virgin olive oil. What’s more, it is quickly and easily prepared – it can be on your table and ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes!

Oval dish of baked feta cheese with olives sitting on a wooden board, with a spoon and knife.

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Why you’ll love this recipe:
Ingredients in this recipe:
How to Make Baked Feta Cheese:
Tips for success and FAQs:
Variations and substitutions:
Serving suggestions:
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Baked Feta Cheese with Olives

Why you’ll love this recipe:

This easily made vegetarian feta appetiser has bright, vibrant flavours of the Mediterranean.

The ingredients are simple and easily obtained at your supermarket, but the result is delicious. It is a starter that is impressive and yet, it is quick and simple to make.

You will love this Baked Feta Cheese because:

It is the perfect dish for entertaining. There is very little hands-on work, and you can easily scale it up for larger numbers.
The oven baked feta undergoes a transformation, changing from a crumbly cheese to one which is deliciously creamy, soft and spreadable.
This recipe is really three appetisers in one. There’s the rich, creamy, cheese, the fragrant, warm olives and the flavour-infused oil that is perfect for enjoying with crusty bread.
The roasted olives are a revelation. Heating the herbs and spices in olive oil releases their flavours, and the olives become tender and juicy, absorbing the flavours of their aromatic companions.
This is a great recipe to customise to suit your taste. The ingredients and quantities can be used as guidelines and varied as required. And if you require a gluten-free option, serve it with gluten-free crackers or pita.

Ingredients in this recipe:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

Feta Cheese – we use Greek feta, a white cheese stored in brine. Choose a feta that you enjoy; a creamy feta is preferred as it will be more spreadable when heated.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – as the oil is an integral part of this appetiser, I recommend that you use the best olive oil that you have. As the juices are delicious mopped up with crusty bread, my preference is for extra virgin olive oil, an essential element of the Mediterranean diet.

Orange and Lemon Rind – I use a few strips of rind from an orange and a lemon to create some bright flavours. Citrus rinds contain fragrant, flavoursome essential oils. However, you need to take care that you remove just the coloured rind and not any of the bitter, white pith.

Lemon Juice – a small amount of lemon juice boosts the flavour of the ingredients and adds balance to the extra virgin olive oil.

Mixed Olives – for general use, I think that olives with pits have better flavour. However, in this dish you may prefer to use pitted olives – it will save you warning your guests of the pits!

Rosemary – this woody, aromatic herb works so well with the other flavours in the Baked Feta Cheese.

Chilli – a few strips of red chilli added to the dish while it bakes will add a lovely flavour and gentle warmth.

How to Make Baked Feta Cheese:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

Steps 1-2 of preparing this recipe - the chilli, rosemary and citrus and feta in an oval dish with olive oil being poured over.

1 – Prepare the flavourings:
Slice the chilli, strip the rosemary leaves from the sprig and remove the rind from the orange and lemon.

2 – Place the feta in a baking dish:
Place the feta in a small oven-proof dish, then pour the olive oil over the feta.

Steps 3-4 of preparing this recipe - the olives and citrus in dish with feta and the dish ready to go into the oven.

3 – Add the olives:
Add the citrus rind, pour over the lemon juice and distribute the olives around the feta.

4 – Bake the feta:
Add the chilli strips to the feta and sprinkle the feta with the rosemary leaves.

Place the feta into the oven and bake about 20 minutes, until hot and bubbling.

Serve the Baked Feta Cheese with Olives, with crusty bread, warmed pita or toasted ciabatta.

Hands holding a piece of bread, and using a knife to spread over baked feta, with dish in background.

Tips for success and FAQs:

My Baked Feta Cheese is such a simple, easily made appetiser, that you really can’t go wrong with this recipe. Even if you are a complete novice in the kitchen, you will be able to make this and serve it with pride to grateful recipients.

This simple dish depends on the quality of the ingredients. For the best flavour, use extra virgin olive oil. One of the pleasures of this recipe is dipping crusty bread into the flavour-filled juices.

Can I make the Baked Feta Cheese in advance?

This dish is best when served just after baking in the oven. However, you can prepare it, ready to go into the oven shortly before you want to serve it.

If I have leftovers, how can I use them?

If by chance you haven’t used all the warm feta, (this is highly unlikely) store it in the fridge in a dish covered with clingwrap. You will find that once it has cooled it will again become firm, but it will now be more fragrant and flavoursome. Use it as it is, to top a Greek salad, crumble over sliced tomato, in an omelette or crumbled over roasted vegetables. You can also use it as before by reheating it in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C (350 F) for 6–8 minutes until warm.

Variations and substitutions:

Mixed Olives – I have used a combination, but if you prefer, you could use just one type.

Fresh rosemary – You could use fresh thyme or dried oregano if you prefer. In general, I prefer fresh herbs as they provide brighter flavour, but when it comes to oregano, my preference is for the dried herb. A few fresh mint leaves added just before serving would add bright flavour.

Optional additions – sliced red onion, red capsicum/bell pepper, quartered marinated artichokes or cherry tomatoes.

Oval dish of baked feta cheese, with a knife dipping into the cheese.

Serving suggestions:

Serve this flavour-filled appetiser family-style. Place it on the table with crusty bread for people to help themselves. This style of entertaining encourages a convivial, relaxed atmosphere and as a result, a relaxed host.

Alternatively, serve it as a light, meat-free meal, accompanied by Homemade Pita Chips and a refreshing Kale and Apple Salad or Rocket and Pear Salad.

A cheese based appetiser is ideal for entertaining and can be the perfect start to a dinner party or casual meal.

Baked Feta with Olives and Rosemary is easy to make and even easier to enjoy. Take a little trip to the Mediterranean with this vibrant appetiser. It is perfect to serve to guests or a quickly prepared appetiser to enjoy with a relaxing glass of wine.

Alex xx

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