Baked Feta

A dish I have been making for a long time is my baked feta.  I made a batch last night for our game night, and it was a hit.  I figured I would share.

The first time I had this dish was years ago at one of my favorite restaurants in Kalamazoo.  I loved it so much that, besides ordering every time I was there, I experimented and came up with my own version at home, and have been making it regularly ever since.  Essentially it is a layer of feta cheese topped with veggies and herbs, and then baked.

If using brine-packed feta, drain it well and then dice or crumble it.  I don't recommend using packages of pre-crumbled feta, because that usually has starch on the crumbles to keep them from clumping, and it affects melting; that type of feta is best for cold preparations.  After draining and crumbling the feta, layer it about an inch or so high in a small baking dish.

The veggie topping is sauteed in a pan before layering on top of the feta.  I like to use minced onion, diced tomatoes (peeled), finely minced garlic, and chiffonades of basil and spinach.  I sometimes also add chile pepper, or minced roasted red pepper.  The onions get sauteed in good olive oil with salt and pepper; when they are soft I add the other veggies and herbs and sautee for just another minute or two.  The dish is forgiving so you can really play with the toppings; add or subtract; you can even reduce it to just the basil and tomato.  I like more stuff, but it's easy to alter it to your tastes.  I do recommend going easy on the salt, though, as feta tends to be salty enough.

Anyhoo, about equal parts of the tomato mixture and feta are layered, feta on the bottom, in a baking dish, and baked until the edges get bubbly; for a 6-inch dish I give it about 20 minutes at 350.  I love it on slices of bread; either crusty breads or soft, like focaccia, work equally well.  Crackers are good too.  Even tortilla chips or veggies work.  I don't think there is much that this spread doesn't go with, but I do tend to stick to my fave, bread.

Happy eating!