It's officially my favorite time of year, and while I am not a huge fan of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I do LOVE apple and pumpkin flavors.

In this recipe, I have married my love for all things Greek (feta and yogurt) with the deeply cozy spices of nutmeg and cinnamon! The cheese is whipped in a small blender or food processor until thick and creamy then topped with some honey basted bacon crumbles for just a touch of sweetness (instead of adding the honey or maple syrup to the whipped feta), and finally some dry toasted walnuts for a bit of crunch.

This fabulously cozy and savory, but not overwhelmingly sweet appetizer is sure to draw a conversation! Happy Eating!

"It's Fall Y'all!" Whipped Feta

Prepare First

5-6 Strips Thick-cut Bacon

2-3 Tbsp Honey (not clover)

...

1/4 Chopped (unsalted) Walnuts

Prepare While Cooking

8 oz Block Feta Cheese (in brine)

1/3 to 1/2 cup Sunflower Oil

1 (5 oz) 5% Fage Greek Yogurt

1.5 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

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1. Preheat oven to 450F (or low broil).

2. Add a layer of foil to a small baking sheet then a rack on top (this keeps the bacon elevated out of the fat and honey that will drip and prevents the likelihood of burning).

3. Add your bacon slices to the rack and drizzle with honey then lightly spread over the bacon until coated.

4. Bake or broil for 15-20 minutes depending on how close it is to the top rack.

5. While the bacon cooks, lightly toast the dry, unsalted walnuts in a pan over medium heat until just brown, approximately 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan or on a plate.

   
   

   * Whipped Feta *

6. To a small blender or food processor (I love my 4-cup Kitchen Aid Mini Processor) add the feta (dispose of remaining brine, but do NOT dry off the feta, just drop it in wet!) followed by 1/3 cup sunflower oil, Greek yogurt, and pumpkin pie spice.

7. Blend until fully incorporated on high speed (or puree function), adding small amounts of oil until you've reached the desired consistency. Feel free to keep blending, puree to a pulp if you will, but be careful adding too much oil or the dish quickly becomes runny.

8. Once you've got your desired consistency, think n creamy, add the whipped feta to a presentation plate and garnish with cooled and chopped honey-bacon bits and walnuts!

9. Serve with fresh rustic bread, or Carr's Water Crackers!

Final Thoughts: There are many on this dish...but I want you to know the why if you try a variation below.

1. Style of Feta - We Greeks exclusively use feta in brine because the moisture is critical to maintaining creamy texture. I promise if you use dry feta crumbles, this dish will not taste the same. I prefer the Organic Feta in Brine from Costco (and yes, it's a lot but you can freeze the blocks in brine in smaller containers) or the Trader Joe's version, also in BRINE. :-)

2. Yogurt - Fage is a cow's milk yogurt made here in the USA but made in the traditional Greek fashion and is the closest thing to true Greek yogurt. If you've been to my Greek class, you know my feelings on Chobani, which is Turkish. In this recipe, I HIGHLY encourage the 5% milkfat. I tried it with 2% and the taste wasn't quite cozy enough. It is possible with 2% if you're trying to cut some fat out, but the homerun version is 5%.

3. Pumpkin Pie Spice - You may be wondering why such a generic spice blend and not a precise breakdown of ground Star Anise, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, etc. The simple answer is we have enough going on that this is one of those dishes I want you to be able to whip up easily when you've forgotten how many holiday parties you've RSVP'd for and just need a crowd-pleasing, but unique dish.