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Finished baked feta with Castelvetrano olives is topped with fresh sprigs of thyme in a small white Staub baking dish. The baking dish sits atop a creamy white braided hot pad that sits atop a gray and white marble surface. Pieces of crostini, lemon wedges, and sprigs of fresh thyme surround the baking dish.

Heavenly Baked Feta with Olives & Thyme

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Snack Recipes, Appetizer Recipes
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Greek & Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This Heavenly Baked Feta with Olives and Thyme is seriously easy to throw together and made with simple yet flavor-filled ingredients that always impress – an easy entertaining must-try!

A block of feta cheese bakes with fresh thyme, garlic, and a little bit of honey, until it is completely warm, fragrant, soft, and creamy. Finish with meaty-yet-mild castelvetrano olives and lemon and serve with crackers or crostini. The perfect snack or appetizer for any gathering, girl’s night, or date night in!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6-8 ounces good-quality feta cheese block or brick, patted dry (do not crumble – see Recipe Notes)
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • optional: up to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 ounces castelvetrano olives, drained and torn in half or roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • for serving, as desired: crostini, toasted bread, or crackers of choice

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Gather and prep ingredients according to Ingredients List, above.Heavenly Baked Feta with Olives ingredients arranged a white and gray marble surface: feta cheese, olive oil, honey, garlic, fresh thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, Castelvetrano olives, lemon, and crostini for serving.
  2. Assemble and bake the feta: Place the feta in the center of a small baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil and honey over top and nestle the garlic and thyme around the sides of the feta. If using, sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over top. Transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.How to Make Heavenly Baked Feta, step 2: Assemble & bake the feta. Two blocks of feta cheese rest inside of an oven safe baking dish with honey and olive oil drizzled over top. Garlic and fresh thyme has been placed alongside the feta int he baking dish and crushed red pepper flakes have been sprinkled over top. The baking dish sits atop a gray and white marble surface and sprigs of fresh thyme and a small speckled ceramic pinch bowl filled with crushed red pepper flakes rest alongside the baking dish.
  3. Add the olives to the baked feta: Once it has been baking for 20 minutes, remove the feta from the oven. Use a spoon to carefully baste some of the garlic and herb-infused olive oil over the feta, then add the castelvetrano olives to the baking dish and sprinkle the lemon zest over top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the feta is softened as desired and the olives are warmed through.How to Make Heavenly Baked Feta, step 3: Add the olives to the baked feta. Halved Castelvetrano olives poured over top assembled baked feta in a small baking dish. The olives have been sprinkled with fresh lemon zest over top. The baking dish sits a top a creamy white braided hot pad that sits atop a gray and white marble surface.
  4. Serve: Finish the baked feta with a spritz of fresh lemon juice. The amount of lemon juice you may want will depend on how tangy your feta is – I add the juice of half a lemon to start, adding more to taste as needed. Allow the baked feta with olives to cool slightly, then serve immediately with crostini, toasted bread, or crackers as desired. Enjoy!Finished baked feta with Castelvetrano olives is topped with fresh sprigs of thyme in a small white Staub baking dish. The baking dish sits atop a creamy white braided hot pad that sits atop a gray and white marble surface. Pieces of crostini, lemon wedges, and sprigs of fresh thyme surround the baking dish.

Equipment

Notes

  • Best feta cheese for baked feta recipes: Since it’s the star of the show, it’s important to use the best quality feta you can find for this baked feta recipe. I suggest looking for feta that’s packaged in brine, which has much richer flavor and creamier texture. If you can only find a brick of feta, it will work just fine. If your block or brick of feta is especially thick, I suggest slicing it into 1/2 – 1-inch planks to ensure the feta bakes up quickly. You could even break it into large chunks, but avoid crumbling it into small pieces.
  • Storage and Reheating: This baked feta recipe is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, so rather than planning for leftovers I suggest scaling the recipe up or down to be suitable for the size of crowd you’re serving. If you do have leftovers, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or at room temperature as marinated feta, or reheat in the oven until warm and softened – up to you!

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/baked-feta-with-olives/