Hot Feta Dip with Toasted Pita Bread

Flavorful, delicious, and easy to make! And yes, another app that involves feta. Can you tell I am a fan of this tangy cheese (and that it's always stocked in my fridge)? Full disclosure: I am a fan of CHEESES of all types, so more cheesy recipes to come. But for now, let’s chat about hot feta dip. It’s a simple, three ingredient appetizer that is so easy to make.

You need a vehicle to eat the hot feta dip with! Allow me introduce you to toasted pita bread. So easy to make and pairs well with many other dips (also delicious on its own). So go ahead and add this toasted pita bread recipe to your arsenal.These two items can bake in the oven at the same time. The dip stays in a bit longer to broil after the toasted pita comes out, but I’ll get to that later.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. To make the toasted pita, place 4 whole pita loaves on a cutting board. On a plate, pour 1/4 cup of olive oil, and dip the top the pita loaf (the darker side of the bread) into the olive oil. My pita of choice, Toufayan classic white pita loaves, Toufayan pita loaves can be found in most deli sections of grocery stores. Place the loaf back on the cutting board, and repeat this process until all of the tops of loaves have been dipped in olive oil. Using a pizza cutter, cut each loaf into 4-6 triangles. After the loaves are cut into triangles, sprinkle the tops of each triangle with shredded Parmesan, kosher salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place each triangle on a 9x13 in cookie sheet, and set aside.

photo: http://www.alanmatthewsphotography.com/

Now, for the hot feta dip. On a cutting board, slice the feta into thin pieces using a sharp knife. I like slicing the feta very thinly because it is easier to eat with the toasted pita. I used Publix brand feta in this recipe. This recipe also works with crumbled feta too, just make sure to use 4 oz of crumbled feta. I am a huge fan of Rao’s marinara sauce, and I used Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce because it provides a spicy kick. However, any selection of marinara can be used. Pour 2 cups of your marinara into a baking dish. Use a small oven safe dish, such as a 8x8 Pyrex dish or pie dish to pour your marina in. Top your sauce with the sliced feta. The sauce will not be completely covered with feta and that is ok. Now top your feta cheese with 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning. I used Badia Italian seasoning, and keep it stocked on the reg at my house. Fresh basil would be a nice alternative to this dry spice blend, however, I am currently using what I have at home.

Photo: Alan Matthews Photography

Photo: Alan Matthews Photography

The toasted pita bread and the hot feta dip go into the oven together to bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Yep, they’re going in together, but they aren’t coming out at the same time. Bake the pita chips for 15 minutes or until they turn a nice golden brown and the tops are hard to the touch. Remove your toasted pita from the oven.

Leaving the feta dip in the oven, turn your oven broiler on high and let the dip broil for 2-4 minutes or until it's bubbling all over and feta turns a slight golden color. Remove the dip from the oven.