Food Recipes Savory Baked Feta Be the first to rate & review! This easy, cheesy appetizer from Suzy Karadsheh captures the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Instagram Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 23, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Heami Lee Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 6 Suzy Karadsheh's debut cookbook The Mediterranean Dish celebrates the healthy, colorful foods of her native Egypt and its neighbors, and this veggie-packed baked feta recipe is a perfect example. A bed of red onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and olives is the base for a block of creamy, briny feta that becomes irresistibly tender in the oven. Fragrant oregano and thyme add another layer of flavor and guarantee this dish will be a head-turner as it makes its way from oven to table. Serve the baked feta with crostini or pita chips for a simple, yet special appetizer. Ingredients ½ red onion, sliced 1/4-in. thick ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/4-in. rounds ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes 6 kalamata olives, pitted and halved 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided 2 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper, divided (optional) 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs, divided (optional) 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing 1 8-oz. block feta cheese (preferably packed in brine) Fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional) Crostini or pita chips, for serving Directions Place a rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and olives in a 6-to-8-inch ovenproof, broiler-safe skillet or baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon oregano and, if using, a big pinch of crushed red pepper and 2 thyme sprigs. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons oil. Place feta on top; season with remaining 1 teaspoon oregano and, if using, remaining crushed red pepper and thyme. Drizzle 2 or 3 tablespoons oil on top and brush sides of feta with more oil. Place skillet in oven. If using a baking dish, set it on a large baking sheet (this makes it easier to handle) and place in oven. Bake until cheese softens and gets a bit of color, 25 to 30 minutes. (If you'd like a little more color, run it under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, watching very carefully to make sure cheese doesn't burn.) Garnish with mint, if using. Serve with crostini or pita chips. Rate it Print