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Roasted Garlic with Olives and Feta is a small Mediterranean appetizer made with tender roasted garlic cloves, briny Kalamata olives, creamy feta, and olive oil. Baked until warm and soft, it’s perfect for serving with crusty bread or pita.
Featured Comment
“This was my dinner tonight, served over pasta… delicious!”
– Linda
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Portioned: A small batch baked feta appetizer that’s just right for one or two people.
- Simple to Make: Roast the garlic, add the olives and feta, and bake again. The oven does the work.
- Bold Mediterranean Flavor: Sweet roasted garlic, briny Kalamata olives, and tangy feta create a rich, savory combination.
- Versatile: Serve with bread or pita, spoon over pasta, or add to a Mediterranean grain bowl.
- Made with Basic Ingredients: Olive oil, garlic, olives, feta, and rosemary come together in one easy dish.
There’s something incredibly comforting about pulling a small dish of roasted garlic and warm feta from the oven. The garlic turns soft and almost buttery, the olives become even richer, and the feta gently softens into the olive oil. I love serving this with torn pieces of warm bread and scooping up every bit straight from the dish. It feels simple, rustic, and full of bold Mediterranean flavor without requiring much effort at all.
Looking for more single serving appetizer ideas? Try my small batch cheese fondue, baked buffalo cauliflower, or small smoked salmon platter recipes.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this baked feta with roasted garlic recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use quality extra virgin olive oil to roast the garlic and olives. It adds rich Mediterranean flavor and helps the garlic soften and caramelize.
- Garlic: About 6 peeled garlic cloves. Roasting turns sharp raw garlic into sweet, tender cloves that blend beautifully with olives and cheese. Add more if you love bold garlic flavor.
- Olives: Pitted Kalamata olives are ideal for this dish for their briny, rich taste and meaty texture. Pitted olives make prep easy and keep every bite enjoyable. Extra olives? Use them in a small Greek chicken bowl, toss them into roasted broccolini, single serving Mediterranean chicken, or a small Greek salad.
- Feta Cheese: Crumbled or in a small block, traditional Greek feta brings tangy saltiness and creamy texture to balance the roasted garlic and olives. Use extra feta in roasted vegetable salad or small pasta salad.
- Dried Rosemary: A pinch of dried rosemary adds classic Mediterranean herb aroma that pairs well with the garlic, olives, and feta.
How To Make Roasted Garlic With Olives And Feta
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Place the peeled garlic cloves in a small oven safe baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic.
- Roast for 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft and tender when pierced with a knife.
- Remove the dish from the oven. Add the olives, feta, and dried rosemary.
- Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until the feta is warmed through.
Serve warm with a small loaf of French bread, homemade tortilla chips, or pita.
Expert Tips
- Use Pitted Kalamata Olives: Pitted olives save prep time and make the dish easier to eat. Kalamata olives add the best briny, Mediterranean flavor.
- Choose Block Feta for Best Texture: A small block of feta holds its shape better when baked. Crumbled feta works, but it will soften more quickly.
- Use a Small Baking Dish: A small oven safe dish keeps the olive oil pooled around the garlic and feta, helping everything roast evenly.
- Check Garlic for Doneness: The garlic should be soft and easily pierced with a knife after roasting. If it is still firm, bake a few minutes longer.
- Add Sun Dried Tomatoes for More Flavor: Stir in a few chopped sun dried tomatoes before the second bake for extra depth and color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Garlic cloves typically take about 30 minutes to become soft and tender in the oven. They are done when easily pierced with a knife.
For this recipe, yes. Peel the cloves before roasting so they soften evenly in the olive oil.
Yes. Roast the garlic ahead of time and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add the olives and feta and bake until warmed through.
Roasted garlic tastes sweet, mild, and slightly nutty. The sharp bite of raw garlic disappears as it cooks.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this roasted garlic with olives and feta or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Roasted Garlic With Olives And Feta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic -peeled
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 6 pitted kalamata olives
- 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Place the peeled garlic cloves in a small oven safe baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic.
- Roast for 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft and tender when pierced with a knife.
- Remove the dish from the oven. Add the olives, feta, and dried rosemary.
- Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until the feta is warmed through.
- Enjoy with bread, homemade tortilla chips, or pita.
Notes
- Use Pitted Kalamata Olives: Pitted olives save prep time and make the dish easier to eat. Kalamata olives add the best briny, Mediterranean flavor.
- Choose Block Feta for Best Texture: A small block of feta holds its shape better when baked. Crumbled feta works, but it will soften more quickly.
- Use a Small Baking Dish: A small oven safe dish keeps the olive oil pooled around the garlic and feta, helping everything roast evenly.
- Check Garlic for Doneness: The garlic should be soft and easily pierced with a knife after roasting. If it is still firm, bake a few minutes longer.
- Add Sun Dried Tomatoes for More Flavor: Stir in a few chopped sun dried tomatoes before the second bake for extra depth and color.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
The combined flavors are so you!my. I did add additional garlic cloves because we love them…this and a tossed salad were our dinner tonight. We will be having this again…soon!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Jan, I like the way you have for dinner!
This was my dinner tonight, served over pasta… delicious! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for taking the time to let me know. I absolutely love it over pasta too.