Greek Bouyourdi is a baked feta appetizer so worth trying (If you haven't already)! This warm feta dip is a little bit spicy. Made with both Feta and Kasseri cheese and freshly grated tomato.
Eating a baked feta dip like this will have you fall in love with feta all over again. The flavor gets so much stronger when baked. And especially in this recipe where it pairs so deliciously with the Kasseri cheese and tomato.
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this baked feta dip recipe. Apart from the two types of cheese (will mention subs for Kasseri cheese below), you need a very ripe and sweet tomato grated, a green hot /chili pepper, paprika, oregano, and olive oil.
It's important for the tomato to be really ripe and sweet. If they're not in season and tomatoes are a bit bland, use Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and blend them in a food processor.
How To Make Baked Feta Dip
You just layer all of the ingredients into a small baking dish (I'm using a terra cotta one) and bake. After a few minutes, you take the dish out of the oven and stir everything well. This helps the ingredients to become more uniform this way. And it's how they make this Greek appetizer in Thessaloniki (its place of origin).
How Long To Bake?
This depends on two things mainly. The ripeness of the feta and of the tomato. For example, soft feta cheese will become less thick when baked. While a hard/ripe piece of feta will result in a firmer texture.
The same goes for the tomato. Therefore, the baking time depends on the moisture of the dip. Overall it takes from 45 to 55 minutes. If the dip looks too thin and runny you can bake it a few minutes more until it starts to thicken a little bit.
But don't expect it to get too thick. This dip is pretty saucy-like. And also keep in mind that as it cools it gets firmer.
Does Feta Melt When Cooked?
Feta does not melt when cooked in the same way other cheeses do for example. That's because it has a smaller amount of fat compared to other types of cheese.
When feta cheese is cooked, it softens and becomes more creamy. With a consistency that's something between Riccota and Mozzarella (without getting stringy though).
Again how much feta cheese softens and creams, when baked, will depend on how ripe it is.
Ingredient Substitutes
If you cannot find Greek Kasseri cheese, swap for Gruyere, a sweet one preferably. Or some Provolone cheese. You could add Mozzarella to it as well. Some like to add yellow cheese like Gouda which melts and strings nicely. But it's not very Greek-style plus it's a bit strong in flavor and might cover the flavor of the feta.
You could swap also paprika, for smoked paprika, for a stronger flavor. Or even swap paprika for red pepper flakes, hot or sweet.
What To Serve With Baked Feta Dip
Baked feta dip (Bouyourdi) calls for either some (actually lots!) of bread or pita flatbread for dipping. You can try making this healthier version of pita bread with Greek yogurt. Or you can go for pita chips or even some crispy potato wedges.
Recipe
Baked Feta Dip (Bouyourdi)
Ingredients
- 250 grams (8.8 ounce) Feta cheese crumbled
- 50 grams (1.7 ounce) Kasseri cheese (sub with Gruyere or Provolone) finely chopped or coarsely grated
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 large (250 gram /8.8 ounce) tomato
- 20 grams (0.7 ounce) spicy green pepper (I've used hot banana pepper)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Add the crumbled feta cheese to a small baking dish. Sprinkle the paprika on top.
- Add the Kaseri cheese on top.
- Grate the tomato on a hand grater. Discard the skin. Add the pulp over the Kaseri and coat it.
- Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the oregano on top.
- Slice the pepper very thin and add on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir well.
- Add it back in the oven for another 30 to 35 minutes.
- Serve warm with bread or pita bread for dipping.
