Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs

The One-Pan Sicilian Swordfish with Spicy Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes recipe I just made was pretty decadent for me, so how on earth am I going to follow that up? It took me a while to figure it out, but then I stumbled upon this Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs recipe, and I had an ah-ha! moment. I’m trying really hard to think of a cheese I don’t like, and I’m coming up with nothing. But baking it somehow makes it special. I guess it’s because it’s not something I ever do for regular meals, just when for holidays or when we have guests. Add to that the fact that I pretty much always have feta cheese cold, and this is extra, extra special.

A super simple cheese appetizer featuring bold Mediterranean flavors.

Recipe Author: Meghan at Cake ‘n Knife
Get the recipe

The Ingredients

There weren’t a ton of ingredients in this recipe, but I did have to buy almost all of them. Not a big deal as everything was easy to find on one trip to my local grocery store. Feta cheese is pretty common now, and they stocked a couple of different brands ranging in price from $4 to $8 for an 8-ounce block. I went with the $4 generic feta as I’ve tried it before and know it’s pretty good.

You might have noticed from the ingredients photo that I substituted grape tomatoes for cherry tomatoes. I had to do that on this and the swordfish recipe I just made. I’ve noticed that grape tomatoes are what are normally stocked, and I decided to investigate the difference between the two since I’m a tomato novice.

The reason seems to be that grape tomatoes are a bit hardier than their cherry cousins.  A lot of grocery stores have taken to stocking them as they have a longer shelf life. They aren’t as sweet as cherry tomatoes, but they can be used interchangeably in most cases. I don’t have a super-sensitive palate, and I doubt I would be able to tell the difference. It’s just something I was curious about and wanted to point out in the interest of transparency.

Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs Ingredients
Feta cheese, grape tomatoes (substituted for cherry tomatoes), basil, olive oil, chopped black olives, garlic, and oregano

The Process

The author describes this recipe as “super simple”, and I have to agree. I took my time slicing the tomatoes and still had it ready in under half an hour. In 29 minutes to be exact. Here’s how my time broke down:

  • 9 minutes to prep
  • 20 minutes to cook
  • 29 minutes total

I decided to use the entire pint of grape tomatoes I bought for this recipe so I wouldn’t have any leftovers go to waste. I’m sure it was more than the 1 cup called for (I didn’t measure), so that might have been why my prep took longer than the 5 minutes listed.

Otherwise, the instructions were so easy to follow. A little slicing and chopping were all it took to get the tomatoes and herbs ready to go. Then it was just a matter of pouring the mixture onto the cheese and baking it all for 20 minutes.

The result was a warm, soft block of feta cheese with plenty of roasted tomatoes to enjoy it with. I served it on slices of a sourdough baguette. I even had a little baked feta leftover after the bread was gone, so I reheated it and served it on a baked potato for lunch. It. Was. Epic!

Before putting the feta into the oven
The baked feta, tomatoes, and herbs before baking

So how was it?

Clear & Accurate Directions
Accurate Time(s)
Appearance
Taste
I don't know about you, but I kind of hate making appetizers. They're tedious and repetitive, and I'm always more focused on the main course. This baked feta recipe is the complete opposite of pretty much every appetizer recipe I've eve tried. A little slicing and chopping were all it took to get the tomatoes and herbs ready to go. Then it was just a matter of pouring the mixture onto the cheese and baking it all for 20 minutes. The result was a warm, soft block of feta cheese with plenty of roasted tomatoes to enjoy it with. I served it on slices of a sourdough baguette. I even had a little baked feta leftover after the bread was gone, so I reheated it and served it on a baked potato for lunch. It. Was. Epic!
The Hungry Pinner
The Hungry Pinnerhttps://www.hungrypinner.com
I'm Candice, and I'm The Hungry Pinner. I created this blog to share my love for cooking and my experiences with the MANY recipes I've found on Pinterest over the years. Join me as I blog my way through those recipes to find out if they are worth trying yourself.

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I don't know about you, but I kind of hate making appetizers. They're tedious and repetitive, and I'm always more focused on the main course. This baked feta recipe is the complete opposite of pretty much every appetizer recipe I've eve tried. A little slicing and chopping were all it took to get the tomatoes and herbs ready to go. Then it was just a matter of pouring the mixture onto the cheese and baking it all for 20 minutes. The result was a warm, soft block of feta cheese with plenty of roasted tomatoes to enjoy it with. I served it on slices of a sourdough baguette. I even had a little baked feta leftover after the bread was gone, so I reheated it and served it on a baked potato for lunch. It. Was. Epic!Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs