Baked Feta with Olives and Orange.jpeg — Baked Feta with Olives & Orange

**By Chadwick Boyd**
PHOTO BY BROOKE SLEZAK

Baked Feta is My Go-To Appetizer

This has been my party go-to for years. It's easy because you can find the ingredients in the deli and produce section of the supermarket. I made a version of this on the Harry Connick Jr. Show by crumbling the feta into large pieces—either way works. The feta does not melt, it softens. It's ready when the edges of the feta and orange get slightly browned. I like to serve this with bagel chips or toasted baguette slices.

Chadwick’s Checklist

What you need to know before you cook.

Use a 9" x 13" non-glass (i.e. ceramic) baking dish.

SERVING SIZE: 6-8 PREP TIME: 5 mins TOTAL TIME: 25 mins

Ingredients

1 block feta drained
1 pint of PITTED mixed olives in oil
1 medium orange, sliced slightly thinner than ¼" thick
¼ cup Marcona almonds or pecans (regular almonds will work, too)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (a small premium olive oil is best for flavor)
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Maldon or Kosher salt to finish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the feta into the center of a 9" x 13" non-glass baking dish. Scatter the olives on top. Layer the orange slices over the olives. Sprinkle the almonds over the orange slices and arrange the sprigs of thyme on top. Drizzle evenly with olive oil. Add a few pinches of Maldon salt over it all.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the feta is soft and slightly browned on the edges.
Serve immediately with bagel chips and a large spoon for scooping. Drizzle with more olive oil to finish, if desired. Reheat for a few minutes if the feta gets hard.