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Up until about 3 years ago, I hated feta. And I love cheese. Like LOVE cheese. That would actually be the main reason I could never go Vegan, because the cheese love runs too deep. I have my Dad to thank for that. He would tell you repeatedly how much he loved cheese like he had never met you before, even if you had been his child for 35 years. Sneaking whole slices of provolone out of the fridge when he thought no one was looking, adding a blizzard’s worth of parmesan cheese to his pasta dishes or picking extra parts of the cheese top of lasagna off and adding it to his own. Either way, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I had three kinds I didn’t care for: Swiss, Ricotta and Feta. Thankfully, feta has fallen off that list cause thankfully some wisdom has come with older age.

I knew when I chose Greece as our next destination, I wanted to do some out of the box recipes. Sadly, a lot of folks hear “Greek food” and think of that Greek Salad, which is delicious but done so often. Some are familiar with Spanakopita, the phyllo dough wrapped pastry with spinach and feta, but again, reviewed as pretty pedestrian at this point.

This appetizer is wonderful for a light snack, a party staple, a wine tasting or an indulgent movie night. And the best part is, this is ridiculously easy to make. If Eggplant isn’t your thing, then feel free to sauté some cherry tomatoes or spinach to switch things up and add some additional flavor. An air fryer was my weapon of choice for the Eggplant and a food processor for the dip. If you don’t have an air fryer at this point, well why not? Joking aside, you can just roast some in your conventional oven or cook some off in a sauté pan. This whole dish can be completed in less then a half hour from prep to serve if you forego the conventional oven route.

Serve this with some more vegetables like cucumbers, carrots and celery or smeared on some grilled pita or fresh crostini. I hope you enjoy it and I hope my Dad isn’t too mad that he didn’t get to try this one. He would have eaten the whole thing.

Whipped Feta Dip with Roasted Eggplant

Serves 4

  • 12oz Crumbled Feta Cheese
  • 3/4c Sour Cream
  • 2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper, divided
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Dill plus 1 Tsp
  • Sprinkle of Salt
  • 1 Small Eggplant, Diced Large, Skin On
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Oregano, Chopped
  • 1/4c Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pull feta cheese out of refrigerator for 1 hour before preparing recipe.

Place eggplant in air fryer and spray with olive oil or cooking spray until all pieces are coated. Airfry at 370 degrees for 15 minutes or until soft to touch. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, combine feta cheese, sour cream, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 Tbsp fresh dill and sprinkle of salt. Process until mixture is smooth and all ingredients are combined.

Spoon feta mixture in a shallow bowl and spread to create small canals in cheese. Place eggplant on top of feta. Sprinkle both with oregano, remaining dill and pepper. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on all. Serve with warm pita, crostini or additional vegetables such as cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or carrots.