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ByElena Paravantes Posted on
So as you may have noticed cheese is really important in our home, but also in the Greek diet. Since traditionally Greeks did not eat much meat, cheese played the role of protein to go along with all those vegetable dishes. In fact, according to the USDA and other sources, Greece has the highest consumption of cheese per person in the world (yes more than the French), at 71 pounds a year which corresponds to 3 ounces a day (which isn’t that much really). That’s because it is actually an important component to the meal, especially feta which makes up most of the cheese consumed in Greece.
But cheese sometimes is consumed as an appetizer, such as the saganki which is fried yellow cheese or baked feta and this here recipe is a more fancy version of baked feta. You will see this appetizer in more modern tavernes (taverns) here in Greece and it is delicious. It is very easy to replicate at home. Although usually fried, I made it a bit lighter by baking it and using a bit less cheese.
One of these is an appetizer for 2-3 people, just a few bites each or you can make it for one person and accompany it with a salad for lunch. And while it seems like an indulgent appetizer, one serving is about 100 calories, low carb (the phyllo adds very little) and a good source of calcium.
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Greek Baked Feta Cheese in Phyllo with Honey
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Servings: 2 -3
Author: Elena Paravantes
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Ingredients
- 3 ounces feta cheese ideally you want the feta to be in the shape of a rectangle or square about 3 X 4 inches, so you can fold it easily
- 1 phyllo sheet
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil for brushing
Instructions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
Toast the sesame seeds. Heat them on the stove to on medium heat for about 1-2 minutes, shaking the pan.
Spread the phyllo sheet and brush with olive oil (make sure you have covered the whole sheet with the olive oil.
Place the feta in the bottom of the phyllo and fold the sides over and then fold the cheese over until you have reached the end of the phyllo. Brush the outside with olive oil and place with folded sided on the bottom on a pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven drizzle with honey and sprinkle the sesame seeds over it.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Leave a comment or share on instagram and mention @greekdiet
Photos by Elena Paravantes
Elena Paravantes
Elena Paravantes, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Writer and consultant specializing in the Mediterranean Diet and Cuisine. She has been active as a clinician, consultant and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece.
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We made this last night , it was so good!
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I really like this recipe and would love to make this for our church meet and greet. Can this be made for about 30 people?
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Hi Rick, I would recommend making single servings , instead of a big one. So you could put about 1 ounce cheese and wrap it in a thinner strip of phyllo.
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Had this in Santorini and decided to make it for my husbands birthday. Super tasty with the salty sweet combo. The only adjustment I wish I had made was to wrap the Feta in more than one Phyllo sheet. I sort of remember it being much thicker/puffier when I first had it in Greece but I don’t believe I was supposed to use puff pastry?!?
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Hello Juliana,
No, puff pastry should not be used in this recipe. Phyllo dough is used here as noted on the recipe ingredients.Reply
Can this be made in advance and frozen, unbaked, then baked as needed, like tiropitakia? Thank you.
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Hi Eleni, I don’t see why not. I haven’t tried it, but it should be fine.
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You use 1 whole sheet of phyllo for each slice of cheese? Or do you cut in half??
ThanksHi Myra, You use 1 whole sheet.
Hi, I have bought a block of Feta and it weighs 7 ounces… however it is the right shape (3×4 inches). Will I be ok to cook this in one chunk with one sheet of phyllo? Thanks
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Can you slice it so it is thinner? If it is the same size but double the thickness it will not soften in that amount of time.
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Retsina
Rosina
Greek WinesReply
Had this at a place in Thessaloniki and fell in love with it! What is the Greek name of this appetizer? Makes deciding which restaurant to go to MUCH easier! 🙂 And I will definitely try to make this at home. Thanks for the recipe!
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You are welcome Verena! There is no specific name. Usually feta tulihti se filo.
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this has really helped me for my greek food homework thank you to this website
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This looks beautiful but as I was reading a question popped into my mind. Red wine is synonymous with the Mediterranean Diet, what do Greeks drink?
Cheers
John Bobbin MClinSc(LifestyleMed)
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Thanks John. Traditionally they drink wine (red and white) as well as ouzo and tsipouro.
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Elena, this turned out perfectly! I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
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Yum! Do you know of a similar recipe but for a dessert? My friend is in Greece right now and said he had an awesome dessert with sesame crumbed feta, fried, then drizzled with honey. I thought the feta would be quite salty for a dessert and wondered if it was a different cheese.
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Thanks Emily! They may have used a milder cheese, but usually it is feta. The phyllo and salt neutralizes the saltiness a bit.
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I had this in Mykonos and would love to make it at home but don’t want to have to fry it. THANK YOU for the baked version.
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Thanks Sheila! I prefer baking too at home.
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Thank you for posting this recipe and the nutritional information with it.
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No problem George.
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Thank you for sharing this recipe. I was planning to prepare this dish for some time, because I find very interesing the contrast between a salty cheese and sweet honey.
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Thanks Zuzanna! I love the sweet and salty combination too.
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