Ever since a recipe for baked feta went viral on TikTok, social media won’t leave feta alone. TikTokkers seem to think they invented the idea of warm feta but tell that to a Greek. Flaky feta pies are ancient; what Greek grandma doesn’t make tiropita?

Just when I thought I had seen everything an influencer could do to feta, a clever Instagram post caught my eye because it looked so much easier than making those tiropita triangles that you fold like a flag. The Instagrammer’s recipe was sketchy but I’ve worked out the details and, of course, tweaked it a bit.

All credit to Giallo Zafferano, a website and Instagram devoted largely to Italian recipes. But there is nothing Italian about these crispy filo-stuffed pastry packets. If you watch the short video demo, you’ll see why I was seduced.

When I set about to recreate the dish at home, I hit a few bumps. I wanted to make smaller packets so each diner could have their own. I couldn’t quite tell how much feta the creator was putting in the packets, and when I made them with only two filo layers—as instructed—the steaming cheese burst through. Using more filo provided reinforcement and a more pleasing ratio of flaky pastry to cheese. The honey drizzle on top isn’t my thing but it’s certainly an option.

Feta in Filo with Almonds and Dill

Serve with a salad of mixed greens and golden beets. Refer to the Instagram video for how to construct and fold the packets although, as noted, I doubled the filo layers.

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Four 9 x 13-inch filo sheets

• Fresh dill

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 ounces feta, sliced about 3/4 inch thick

• 2 to 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

• Honey for drizzling, optional

Preheat the oven to 375°F or 350°F with a convection fan. (I used the fan.) Brush a small baking sheet with olive oil. Work with 1 filo sheet at a time and keep the remaining sheets covered so they don’t dry out.

Cut a filo sheet in half on the long side so you have 2 half-sheets each measuring 9 x 6-1/2 inches. Put one half-sheet on a dry work surface and brush well with olive oil. Scatter dill fronds over the sheet then grind a little pepper over it. Top with the other half-sheet and repeat: olive oil, dill and pepper. Cut another filo sheet in half and make two more layers: filo, olive oil, dill and pepper. So now you have 4 stacked filo half-sheets.

Put half the feta on top, then fold the filo over the feta and tuck the ends under as if you were making a burrito. (Refer to the Instagram demo.) Place the packet on the baking sheet and brush the top with olive oil. Repeat to make a second packet.

Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes with convection. Transfer to salad plates and sprinkle the almonds on top. Drizzle with honey if desired. Serve immediately.
Serves 2