Feta cheese is a well-liked ingredient that you just may discover in salads, appetizers, and many Mediterranean meals. It’s a novel cheese and considered one of my favorites. Right here we are going to study all about feta cheese + discover 16 simple methods to prepare dinner with feta!
In case you’re something like me, you then love cheese. And feta cheese is completely considered one of my go-to’s as a result of that’s what I grew up with. I at all times have some feta in my fridge as a result of it has such a unbelievable taste and is inexpensive.
However not everyone seems to be aware of feta cheese and the way good it’s for cooking and consuming. I get quite a lot of questions on what it’s and how one can prepare dinner with it. So it appeared like a good suggestion to reply the entire urgent questions on feta and share a few of my favourite recipes to make with this briny cheese. In case you’re not already cooking with feta, then hopefully, you’ll begin now!
Is Feta Goat Cheese?
No, feta will not be a sort of goat cheese. Feta cheese is historically made out of sheep’s milk, although some creameries use a mix of sheep’s, cow’s, and goat’s milk. Feta does have quite a lot of similarities to goat cheese, they usually can usually be used interchangeably in recipes.
What’s Feta Cheese?
Feta is a sort of cheese that has been brined. It’s very crumbly, so it’s generally used as a topping for salads. But it surely additionally is a reasonably gentle cheese. Feta is normally offered in squares and is commonly offered within the brine.
How is it Made?
The method of creating feta is similar to different cheeses. Rennet is added to exploit, which causes the milk to separate into solids and liquids. The milk solids are then hung by fabric or positioned in a mildew in order that extra liquid might be drained from them. As soon as the liquid has been drained, the cheese is seasoned with salt. What makes feta distinctive is what occurs subsequent. The cheese is then positioned in a brine, the place it normally stays for a couple of months earlier than being packaged and offered.
Is Feta Cheese Good For You?
Feta is without doubt one of the healthiest cheeses which you could purchase. It’s loaded with necessary nutritional vitamins and minerals, similar to calcium, phosphorous, nutritional vitamins B12 and B6, and zinc. And it has a decrease quantity of fats and much fewer energy than most cheeses. Nevertheless, feta can be one of many saltiest cheeses, so you need to watch your sodium consumption for those who’re consuming quite a lot of feta.
What Does it Style Like?
As a result of feta is brined for therefore lengthy, it has a really salty taste. It’s additionally very tangy, and it nearly tastes somewhat bit bitter. It’s a really smooth-tasting cheese, and it’s loads lighter than many different varieties of cheese.
Methods to Retailer Feta Cheese
It’s necessary to retailer feta the correct manner. In case you’re going to eat it shortly after opening it, you may merely retailer it in an hermetic container or bag within the fridge for as much as per week. However for those who’re going to retailer the cheese for longer than that, you’ll wish to maintain it in a brine within the fridge. Place the feta in an hermetic container, cowl it in water, and add quite a lot of salt, and the feta will final within the fridge for 1 month.
16 Feta Cheese Recipes to Strive
Now that you realize all about feta, let’s get to creating some recipes. All of those dishes are wholesome, simple to make, and tremendous scrumptious.
This super-rich pasta dish has your entire favourite buffalo rooster components. It’s stuffed with rotisserie rooster, wing sauce, and even ranch dressing. And it’s additionally full of whipping cream and mozzarella cheese, so it’s very wealthy. However the star simply may be the crumbled feta cheese on high, which actually ties the dish collectively and offers it a tangy zing.
Certainly one of my favourite meals to eat with feta is spinach. The 2 components simply go collectively completely. This decadent rooster bake is stuffed with cheese, because it additionally has mozzarella and cream cheese. The cheeses soften collectively within the oven, and the tip result’s magical.
This recipe looks like one thing you’d order at a flowery Italian restaurant. Slices of eggplant are full of garlic and 4 varieties of cheese: feta, parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta. They’re positioned on high of marinara sauce and baked till the cheese is melty. What’s to not love?
I really like cooking rooster within the air fryer. It’s a hassle-free option to have perfectly-cooked rooster each single time. This rooster is filled with three components that go completely collectively: feta cheese, basil, and garlic. It’s nearly as good because it sounds!
You don’t normally consider fish and cheese going collectively, nevertheless it works so properly on this recipe. Feta is so briny that it pairs completely with the buttery cod, whereas different robust flavors like white wine, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and oregano make the seafood shine.
I nearly at all times put feta cheese in my frittatas. The tangy taste of the cheese cuts proper by way of the richness of the eggs. This recipe additionally has quite a lot of bacon, so the brine from the cheese is additional necessary. It’s considered one of my go-to breakfast recipes as a result of it has a lot taste in it.
My favourite manner to make use of feta cheese is to place it on high of a salad. And this steak salad is without doubt one of the finest salads I’ve ever made. The salad is stuffed with flavorful components like tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, however the star is the French dressing. It’s full of herbs, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard, and the flavors actually pop.
This recipe has quite a lot of earthy flavors in it, like bulgur, chickpeas, and pistachios. The intense tanginess from the feta actually balances these flavors out and makes this dish style mild and refreshing. Plus, it’s really easy to make!
That is such a easy and easy-to-make salad, however the flavors are dynamic. The salad is simply garbanzo beans, feta cheese, and some recent veggies, and the dressing is lemon juice, parsley, cumin, pepper, and oil. Recipes don’t get rather more easy than that, however I wager you’ll make this salad on a regular basis.
Laborious-boiled eggs and feta cheese is one other mixture that I actually love. One thing in regards to the richness of the egg and the tanginess of the cheese simply works brilliantly. However the secret to this recipe is somewhat little bit of recent jalapeño, which takes the salad to the following stage. It really works nice as a facet salad, or as a whole meal.
Tomatoes with cheese is without doubt one of the most basic meals pairings ever and for good cause. It simply works so properly. This recipe is similar to a caprese salad, besides with feta as a substitute of recent mozzarella. The result’s a salad that’s tangier, lighter, and I believe loads higher.
Feta is a staple ingredient within the Mediterranean, so it’s no shock that it’s a giant a part of this recipe. This salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavors, like olives, tomatoes, and an excellent tangy salad dressing. It’s good for a scorching summer season day.
This recipe is the definition of tacky. The spicy peppers are full of not one, not two, however three varieties of cheese: cream cheese, cheddar, and naturally, feta. However the factor that actually makes this recipe particular is that it makes use of pork rinds instead of bread crumbs for breading and frying the poppers. It’s scrumptious!
Often, after we consider peppers filled with cheese, we consider jalapeños. However banana and cubanelle peppers are simply nearly as good! They’re filled with feta, parmesan, and ricotta, which makes for a creamy however tangy filling. The peppers are additionally loaded with herbs and aromatics, which go so properly with the feta.
In most of those recipes, the feta is a garnish or a comparatively small ingredient. But it surely’s the star of the present on this recipe. The feta is roofed utterly in tomato sauce and garlic, after which with two extra sorts of cheese for some additional richness and meltiness. Then it’s baked and served as a dip for chips and flatbreads. How good does that sound?
It is a gourmand recipe, nevertheless it’s surprisingly simple to make. Tomatoes, peppers, and feta are layered on a selfmade pie crust, and the outcomes are wonderful. The flavors work extremely properly collectively, and it tastes prefer it got here out of a flowery restaurant. You’ve undoubtedly received to do this one.
Want Extra Straightforward Recipes?
In case you want extra recipes to attempt after making these feta dishes, then take a look at my recipe finder. You’ll be capable of discover no matter you’re craving there!
