[Sponsor Note: MJoe’s BBQing costs are covered by our sponsor Lantana Hummus, which was started by a Michigan fan/MGoBlog reader.
That’s usually more than enough to get our endorsement. But this stuff is honestly, seriously, unbelievably good. Also it’s not made of cats!
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I am a believer that the GOOEYER the dip, the better. I also love me some salty goodness on crunchy bread whenever its an option. This is why is love the SIZZLING FETA appetizer is perfect on GAME DAY. I need to give full credit to my man Big Green Craig for this recipe. Craig is the captain of our 2 time defending Eggfest National Championship winning team and the genius behind this gooey and cheesy creation. He has a great site with plenty of fantastic recipes at www.biggreencraig.com. Check it out. This dip also pairs well with a few tubs of your favorite Lantana Hummus and some charred baguette pieces. Take them both to your favorite tailgate and your job is done!
This is the easiest recipe we have done in 4 years of MGOBBQ. You can purchase the ingredients at your local grocer and have in the oven or on your grill in less than 2 minutes. If you want to make your own pesto, the recipe is listed below.
INGREDIENTS:
- 16 oz Feta Cheese
- 8 Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Baguette (Toasted)
- PESTO - Mix in food processor or blender until smooth.
- 2 garlic gloves - Chopped
- 1.5 cups fresh basil Leaves
- 1 OZ Parm Cheese - Grated
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
[Hit THE JUMP for directions]
DIRECTIONS:
Heat grill or oven to 400 degrees. There is no need to add wood to this fire unless you want some smoke flavoring. I didn’t on this one, but feel free to add a little smoke. Drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom of the skillet. Cut your feta into 1 inch chunks and place in the cast iron pan. Drizzle as much of the pesto sauce over the top as you want.
Now cut up some of the sun dried tomatoes and sprinkle on over the top of the feta and pesto. I love sun dried tomatoes, so I went heavy.
Slice your baguette into 1/2 inch pieces and brush with butter or olive oil. I sprinkled with some garlic salt and pepper to add some flavor.
Take the feta out to the grill and place over direct heat. My grill was at 400 degrees and screaming hot.
This will take about 15 minutes to get nice and gooey. Once the feta starts to melt, toss on your baguette slices. They will only take a few minutes per side, depending on how close they are to the heat.
After 20 minutes, we end up with this beautiful feta dip and charred baguette. I made this for work and it was gone in less than 5 minutes.
It’s hard to take good pics with hands reaching in every few seconds. This would also work great with goat cheese. Try different cheeses to see which you like best, but FETA is my top choice. Once it cools, you can pick out the charred bits on the bottom of the pan and use them in your salads. The charred bits are my favorite. Give it a few mins to cool and start dippin’.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the Big 10 opener. Let me know what you think of this easy and fun appetizer. GO BLUE!!!!