Spicy Baked Feta (Print version)

Creamy feta baked with tomatoes and peppers for a spicy Greek appetizer ready in 30 minutes.

# What you'll need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium ripe tomato, diced
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 fresh chili pepper, finely sliced (or 1 tsp red chili flakes)

→ Pantry

06 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Garnish

10 - Fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Lemon wedges

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place the feta block in the center of a small ovenproof baking dish.
03 - Scatter the diced tomato, sliced onion, bell pepper, and chili (or chili flakes) around and over the feta.
04 - Drizzle everything with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
05 - Bake uncovered for 18–20 minutes, until the feta is golden at the edges and the vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The feta transforms into something impossibly creamy and luxurious while keeping its signature tang
  • It comes together in minutes but looks like you spent hours planning a fancy mezze spread
  • The spicy kick against the rich cheese creates that addictive sweet and heat balance everyone reaches for
02 -
  • The feta will puff up dramatically in the oven, then settle as it cools, so don't panic when it looks enormous
  • Serve this straight from the baking dish because transferring it loses all those lovely pan juices everyone will fight over
03 -
  • Let your feta come to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking for even heating throughout
  • Use the whitest feta you can find, as aged or yellowed feta can become unpleasantly salty when baked

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