Baked Feta with Crostini Appetizer
This baked feta with crostini is bursting with flavour. Crunchy bread topped with warm cheese, olives, tomatoes and herbs is so hard to resist!
Ingredients
For Crostini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 baguette (I used multigrain)
For Baked Feta
- 200g feta cheese in brine, drained
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups olives, drained and pitted (I used green and kalamata)
- 1½ cups whole cherry tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
For Crostini
- Heat oven to 425° F. Slice baguette on angle into ½ inch ovals. Mix olive oil and butter, and lightly brush each side of bread. Place on lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned, turning over halfway. Set aside to cool.
For Baked Feta
- Set oven to 350°F. Place cheese in middle of pie dish. Add olive oil and lemon juice to outside edge, followed by garlic, olives and tomatoes.
- Lightly drizzle more olive oil over entire top. Sprinkle evenly with oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes and cracked black pepper.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until it's hot and bubbly and tomatoes split open. As an option, broil 1-2 minutes to lightly brown top of cheese. Serve warm with crostini.
Notes
- What kind of olives do I use? To make it quick and easy, I used pitted olives. Those with with pits tend to have more flavour, so go that way if you prefer. Any kind will work.
- Will grape tomatoes work? I recommend cherry tomatoes, as they're less meaty and much sweeter. But, they can be used.
- Can I use dried herbs? Reduce amount to about ¼ tsp. Fresh is best!
- Can I make it spicy? Of course! Simply add more red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to the liquid.
- For gluten-free version, serve with gluten-free crostini or sliced baguette.