Baked Feta Cheese Dip
Enjoy a simple baked feta cheese dip with good quality feta, cherry tomatoes, basil, and garlic; baked to perfection, served with pita wedges.
Ingredients
- 8 oz feta cheese, drained (very dry)
- 4 cloves garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pittled and halved
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional, for heat
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sea Salt, to taste (if you even need it, use it sparingly)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
For serving:
- Pita baked wedges, or crackers, chips, or crostini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the baking rack on the upper third rack.
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Remove the feta chese from water and place on paper towels; pat dry.
- Place the block of feta in the center of the baking dish. Place the garlic on top of the feta, and then the tomatoes and olives around the feta,
- Drizzle olive oil all over the cheese, tomatoes, and olives.. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, a crack of salt, and pepper (use desired amount).
- Bake for 20 minutes; gently sitr. Return back to the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the tomatoes are juicy and shriveling and the feta is turning somewhat golden.
- Remove the dish from the oven. With a spoon, gently swirl the feta, tomatoes and olives together—but not mixed completely. Taste, and add more salt if needed (most likely you won't need more salt, but every feta cheese is different).
- Over the top, sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.
- Serve warm with pita wedges on the side.
- Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 129kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 459mg, Potassium: 114mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 375IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 154mg, Iron: 1mg