Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta
January 17, 2020 by Nicole Collins
You might be a grown up if you have a favorite cheese.
Then I'm DEFINITELY a grown up, because I can spout out my favorite cheese without a second of hesitation.
FETA.
My name is Nicole, and I'm obsessed with feta cheese.
I almost always have feta in my fridge. There's just so much you can do with it! You can put it in salads. You can put it in eggs. You can put it in sauces. You can grab a chunk and eat it straight. But one of my favorite things to do with it is to slice a thin piece off of a block and rest it on top of baguette that's been brushed with lots of olive oil and toasted in the oven.
Oh my goodness golly wow!
Now, feta is not for the weak. It's definitely a strong flavor. It's salty and a little funky. And, it's definitely smelly. But, I think that pungent goodness is exactly what I love about it.
So, that's what we're celebrating today. We're celebrating the joy of feta. But...with a twist!
Today, we're making Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta!
THIS DIP IS SOOOOOOO GOOD.
For real.
And, it's really very simple to put together.
Let's talk roasted garlic. We need 2 whole heads of roasted garlic. 2! I made this recipe the first time with just one head, because I'm thinking that's a lot of garlic. But, then I went back and added more! And the thing is, the garlic flavor is still pretty subtle in this dip. It's not overpowering at all, but you can definitely taste the notes of sweet garlic in the background, and that's one of the things that makes this dip so special.
Once the garlic heads are roasted, all we really have left to do is throw everything in a food processor. We need a block of feta, half a block of softened cream cheese, some olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper to finish out our dip. The cream cheese helps to really make our cheese dip rich and creamy. And even though our feta is already super salty, the pinch of finishing salt helps to really accentuate the combo of flavors.
Once the dip is ready, you can get fancy and serve it with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of aleppo pepper or paprika (for color). Then when you're ready to dig in, you can serve this with toast, veggies, crackers, whatever! I like to put a schmear of this on some toast, then top it with some sliced avocado and a poached egg. Another favorite way to enjoy this dip is spread on some toast and topped with a fresh cucumber salad. It's great in a greek style wrap too.
YUM!
This dip is not only simple and bursting with flavor but it's quite a showstopper too. A little swirl with your spoon in the serving bowl makes it looks like the fanciest dip you can find!
Ok, everyone. I want to hear about your favorite cheeses. Grown ups, unite!
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta
Serves: about 1 ½ cups Print
Ingredients:
2 heads garlic
8 oz feta
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt and pepper, to taste
aleppo pepper or paprika for garnish, optional
Directions:
Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the heads of garlic horizontally, about halfway from the top, to expose the cloves of garlic. Place cut garlic heads on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil slowly over the garlic covering the entire top surface (less than 1 tbsp). Season each with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap foil around the garlic to create a closed pouch, and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 mins. When finished, let cool for a few minutes before carefully opening the foil. When cool enough to touch, squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves into a food processor.
To the food processor with the roasted garlic, add feta, cream cheese, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Process until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning, and add a small pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Process again for a quick second to incorporate the seasonings.
Transfer dip to a serving bowl. Take the back of your spoon to make a swirl pattern in the dip, and drizzle olive oil in the swirl, if desired. Sprinkle dip with a pinch of aleppo pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve with bread, crackers, and/or veggies!
Recipe notes:
*I served my dip with a little veggie salad on the side. I took about a cup of diced cucumber, a cup of halved grape tomatoes, ½ of a small sliced shallot, 1 tsp chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste. It's delicious!
*This dip is so versatile! You can serve it with toast or crackers. You can use it as a spread in a greek style wrap. I even like to schmear it on some toast and top it with sliced avocado and a poached egg. This is WAY more than just a dip!
*Aleppo pepper is a sweet peppery spice that I get online. Paprika would be a find substitute, as well. You can serve without the garnish, but it adds a nice pop of color.
*You might think you shouldn't add salt to this dip since feta is naturally salty, but a little pinch at the end really helps to accentuate the flavors.
