Stuff Olives With Feta For An Easy Crowd Pleasing Appetizer

Entertaining can seem like a daunting task, but there are a number of unconventional hors d'oeuvres recipes you can choose that will appeal to a good deal of people. If you want something slightly simplified, there's one straightforward choice that will spring right off the charcuterie board and onto the plates of even the pickiest party guests. You truly can't go wrong with olives and cheese. For those who enjoy the briny side of things, your best bet is a Mediterranean-inspired, easy-as-can-be pairing of olives stuffed with feta cheese, a duo of flavors that welcomes a myriad of possibilities for accompaniments and seasonings.

This particular appetizer works well for many reasons, the first of which is its simplicity. All you need are your favorite pitted olives and a block of crumbly feta cheese. There are many different types of olives with flavor profiles and textures that vary from extra salty and crisp to mild and velvety smooth. With olives becoming the stars of party time snacking, they're an obvious choice for a crowd pleasing appetizer, particularly paired with the tangy bite and saltiness of feta. A side benefit of feta, which helps a lot when planning for multiple guests, is that it is generally safe for those with lactose intolerance.

You'll want to consider the right pairings of olives and feta cheese. Standard black olives tend to taste milder and have a softer mouthfeel whereas green olives are usually more firm and tangy. Between the three main types of feta cheese, Bulgarian, Greek, and French, there are distinct variations in the salt content of each one's respective brining liquid, which affects the taste and texture. French feta is the least salty among the three. As far as consistency, Greek feta is often softer and Bulgarian is firmer with French feta falling somewhere in between. So, for example, stuffing a bright and tangy green olive with a less salty French feta will strike a nice balance among the flavors.

The actual stuffing process is relatively simple and can be achieved by eyeballing your olive cavity, cutting off a suitable piece of feta cheese and either stuffing it in with your fingers or using a chopstick or similar implement to help work it all the way in. For the accompaniments, marinating your olives with herbs and olive oil will bring out the wonderful Mediterranean flavors and tie the overall appetizer together. You can also serve these as part of a mezze platter, alongside a spread of pita, hummus, crudites, and more. However you stuff and serve, feta cheese olives will be a hit.