Entertaining

Baked Olive, Tomato, and Feta Dip

by:
August 23, 2015
5
8 Ratings
Baked Olive, Tomato, and Feta Dip
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Makes 1 block of feta
Author Notes

Keep leftovers from this party fave in your fridge overnight; just pop the dish back into the oven to re-soften the cheese the next day. —Kendra Vaculin

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought (a teeny amount! so the cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom! a perfect use for leftovers or the dregs of the jar)
  • 8 ounces block of feta cheese, drained
  • 1/2 cup pitted and roughly chopped Kalamata olives
  • 1 1/3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • a few turns fresh ground pepper
  • toast, crackers, pita, and/or a spoon for eating
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  2. Pour the tomato sauce into the bottom of a small oven-safe dish (I used a 6–inch round). Place the feta in the center and press to slightly break the block apart. This is a rough-crumbly-spreading situation, not a make-a-clean-cheese-layer situation.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix the olives, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and pepper — you don't need to season with salt, as the feta is salty enough on its own. Pour the mixture evenly over the cheese.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes. Your kitchen will smell like pizza and the feta will get warm and spreadable. Top with the parsley once it's out of the oven.
  5. Serve to guests with toast or crackers, or stuff into a pita pocket with a fried egg and arugula for a meal for yourself.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Christine Tetreault
    Christine Tetreault
  • Plain old Hoosier
    Plain old Hoosier
  • Betsy
    Betsy
  • Monica Lemkowitz
    Monica Lemkowitz
  • Julie Swanson
    Julie Swanson
Kendra Vaculin

Recipe by: Kendra Vaculin

A fan of female driven comedies, a good beat, your hair today, and making foods for friends.

Popular on Food52

9 Reviews

Christine T.
Christine T. December 2, 2023
Ermygawd this is sooooo good, super quick to make and easily Veganized by using Violife feta style block.
 
JennyDodson
JennyDodson January 11, 2023
Easy and tastes amazing, especially in the winter, when you want to eat something warm and add a little fresh basil, if you miss the summer -
 
Plain O.
Plain O. March 27, 2022
Was feeling really snacking on a Sunday afternoon that is cold as butt outside, and it’s just the thing to fill the kitchen with lovely smells and fight off the cold.
 
Betsy
Betsy March 14, 2022
It was great! Subbed a few things, green olives (no kalamata in house) and crumbled feta. Sort of threw it together. Turned out fine. Will make it again. You can’t make a mistake with this one!
Thanks!
 
gcooks
gcooks June 3, 2018
i've been making this for some time and find it is always delicious, simple to make and well received. plus, its totally forgiving. i can make all kinds of what-have-i-got-in-my-fridge type modifications with success: different types of olives, harissa, herbs, feta...
 
Monica L.
Monica L. January 17, 2018
I made this as an appetizer for Christmas. The only things I did differently were to use a sheep/goat's milk feta and I added some golden raisins. It was one of the tastiest and easiest things I have ever made! My boyfriend and I have made it twice since then and Christmas was only a month ago. And if I want to make it during the summer I'll throw it into a heatproof dish and put it on the barbeque!
 
Julie S.
Julie S. June 28, 2017
No oven use during summer! I'll try to use microwave with toaster oven to crisp it up. I don't know why so many recipes call for heating up your house in the summer. Disappointing.
 
rob
rob February 23, 2017
Found it far too salty even with a less aggressive Danish fetta.
 
Betsey
Betsey August 26, 2015
How much smashing is required? The photo makes it look quite smashed.