This feta grilled cheese is sweet, salty, and impossibly creamy. Buttery toasted sourdough holds a soft filling of Greek feta, anthotyros, and a little kefalotyri, and warm thyme honey goes over the top the second it comes out of the oven. It’s grilled cheese with feta the Greek way, and it’s on the table in about half an hour.
If you love this feta grilled cheese, you’ll also love my roasted feta with honey, Greek yogurt with honey, figs, walnuts, and mint, and spicy whipped feta dip (tirokafteri).
Why this feta grilled cheese works
Grilled cheese is beloved by kids and adults alike. Daryl and I make one whenever we need a comfort-food treat or feel like celebrating something small.
This feta grilled cheese is made with two of my favorite cheeses, feta and anthotyros. In Greece, we usually eat both uncooked: in a salad, over a piece of toasted bread, or with some fruit. Both pair beautifully with honey, and that’s where the idea for this sandwich came from.
The filling is equal parts feta and anthotyros, plus some grated kefalotyri to hold the fort. Here’s the twist: instead of cooking the whole sandwich in the pan, I toast the buttered bread in a skillet first, fill it, wrap each sandwich tightly in parchment paper, and finish it in a hot oven. The parchment parcel traps the heat, so the filling warms all the way through and turns creamy while the crust stays crisp instead of scorching. Straight out of the oven, a drizzle of thyme honey goes on top. Simple, and it works wonders.
Does feta melt in a grilled cheese?
Feta softens and turns creamy when it’s heated, but it doesn’t melt into long, stretchy strings the way cheddar or mozzarella does. Because of how it’s made and brined, its crumbles hold their shape.
That’s why this recipe blends crumbled feta with a soft fresh cheese (anthotyros, or whole-milk ricotta) and a little grated kefalotyri. The fresh cheese makes the filling spreadable and luscious, and the kefalotyri adds a salty, nutty bite. So yes, feta makes an excellent grilled cheese, as long as you give it a creamier partner.
Ingredients for feta grilled cheese
- Sourdough bread. Its tangy flavor and sturdy crumb pair perfectly with the salty cheese and sweet thyme honey. A crusty Greek-style country loaf works too.
- Feta cheese. Skip fat-free feta. It doesn’t exist in Greece, and it tastes like plastic. Always buy a block of feta in brine and crumble it yourself. Israeli and Bulgarian feta are good choices if you can’t find Greek. More on choosing feta in my Greek pantry staples.
- Important note. Every feta has its own salt level. Some Greek grocers will let you taste a piece before you buy. I prefer a mild, not-too-salty feta. If your packaged feta turns out too briny, soak it in a bowl of fresh water for a day and the salt will drop significantly.
- Anthotyros cheese. Anthotyros is a traditional fresh, soft white cheese from Greece, made with sheep’s or goat’s milk, or a mix of both. At home we eat it for breakfast with honey and fruit, or over rusks with extra virgin olive oil, chopped tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Whole-milk ricotta is the best substitute.
- Kefalotyri cheese. This hard, salty white cheese is the one we fry in olive oil for saganaki or grate over pasta. Pecorino Romano or Parmesan are good substitutes.
- Salted butter. Unsalted works if you prefer.
- Honey. Choose a mild, local honey, or Greek thyme honey if you can find it (see below).
- Fresh thyme. You’ll warm the honey with fresh thyme leaves so it infuses while the sandwiches bake.
How to make feta grilled cheese
- Heat the oven to 390°F / 200°C.
- Cut four generous slices of sourdough and spread salted butter on both sides of each slice. Set a skillet over medium-high heat and toast the bread on both sides until golden.
- While the bread toasts, mix ½ cup crumbled feta with ½ cup anthotyros and ⅓ cup grated kefalotyri.
- Spread half the cheese mixture over one slice of toast, top with a second slice, and press down gently. Wrap the sandwich tightly in parchment paper, then repeat with the remaining bread and filling. Set both parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is hot and soft all the way to the center.
- Meanwhile, add the honey and the leaves from one or two sprigs of fresh thyme to a small saucepan. Warm it over very low heat and let it infuse while the sandwiches bake. Don’t let it boil.
- Unwrap the parcels and move the sandwiches to a cutting board. Cut each one in half and serve immediately, drizzled with thyme honey and scattered with a few more thyme leaves. Bring the rest of the honey to the table so everyone can pour more as they eat.
Variations
Spinach and feta grilled cheese. Wilt a big handful of spinach in a skillet, squeeze out as much liquid as you can, chop it, and fold it into the cheese mixture. Any tender greens work, so it’s a great home for leftover horta.
Tomato and oregano. Tuck a few thin tomato slices and a pinch of dried Greek oregano over the cheese before you close the sandwich. Pat the tomatoes dry first so the bread stays crisp.
As an appetizer. Cut each sandwich into quarters instead of halves and pass the honey on the side. Guests love it this way.
Without honey. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes for a fully savory version.
What to serve with feta grilled cheese
Grilled cheese and soup is a classic for a reason, and this one loves a Greek soup on a cold day. Try it alongside a bowl of fasolada (Greek white bean soup), or creamy trahanas with butter and feta. For a lighter lunch, serve it with a crisp salad, or make it part of a sandwich spread next to my Greek tomato sandwich with feta.
Feta Grilled Cheese FAQ
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Feta Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Thyme Honey
Equipment
- Skillet
- baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- ½ cup Greek feta, crumbled
- ½ cup anthotyros cheese, note: or whole-milk ricotta
- ⅓ cup kefalotyri cheese, grated (note: or Pecorino Romano)
- 4 teaspoons salted butter
- ½ cup honey, note: for drizzling and serving at the table
- 2-3 prigs fresh thyme, plus extra leaves for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 390°F / 200°C.
- Spread salted butter on both sides of each bread slice.
- Toast the bread in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden on both sides.
- While the bread toasts, mix the feta, anthotyros, and kefalotyri in a bowl.
- Spread half the cheese mixture over one slice of toast, top with a second slice, and press down gently. Wrap tightly in parchment paper. Repeat to make a second sandwich.
- Place the parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the filling is hot and soft in the center.
- Meanwhile, warm the honey with the leaves from one or two thyme sprigs in a small saucepan over very low heat. Don’t let it boil.
- Unwrap the sandwiches, cut each in half, and serve immediately, drizzled with thyme honey and a few extra thyme leaves.
Notes
- Feta. Every feta has a different salt level. If your packaged feta is too salty, soak it in fresh water for a day.
- Anthotyros. Whole-milk ricotta is the best substitute.
- Kefalotyri. Use grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan instead.
- Make ahead. Mix the cheese filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Bake the sandwiches just before serving.
- Spinach version. Fold squeezed-dry wilted spinach into the filling.
Nutrition
