Ina Garten's Crusty Baked Potatoes with Whipped Feta

This Crusty Baked Potato with Whipped Feta is genius! Next level! Game-changing! If you love feta, you simply need to give it a try.

Never has more attention been paid to the outside of a potato. Ina creates a special coating consisting of chopped rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and salt. She coats the potatoes in olive oil and then rolls the potatoes in the special seasoning. Hallelujah! Why hasn't anyone ever done this before? I mean really... have you ever seen so much attention paid to the exterior of a potato? I'm actually a little miffed I've never thought of this before.

Next, you have the pièce de résistance, the whipped feta. If you love feta cheese, then you simply must make this whipped feta and then proceed to put it on everything you can think of.  It is that good! Feta cheese, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Whip that up real good.  It's tangy, it's creamy, it's salty and it provides a wonderful creamy contrast to the baked potato. This topping is a delightful change from the traditional baked potato. It is simply incredible!

I realize that there is a major heatwave sweeping the nation right now, and it's not really baked potato season, but you simply MUST MAKE this baked potato recipe! The whipped feta is such a lovely combination with the potato. I really loved the contrast of the hot potato with the cold creamy whipped feta. The potato itself is seasoned so well and it certainly doesn't need any other seasoning. It's perfect just the way it is. It's so good I instantly wanted another one and had to hold myself back from indulging any further. I really can't rave about this recipe enough. You really should give it a try!

P.S. I also feel I have to acknowledge that this version is way healthier than your standard loaded baked potato which is full of butter, cheese, bacon, and sour cream. You simply can't go wrong with this recipe, unless you don't like feta, at which point you and I probably can't be friends!

P.P.S. I was going to make Ina's Flag Cake for the upcoming 4th of July holiday, but then I saw the episode of her show where she made this baked potato recipe and the rest was history.

Crusty Baked Potatoes with Whipped Feta

Adapted from Food Network

Recipe from Ina Garten

Serves 4

For The Crust:

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

grated zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

4 large (8-10 ounce Idaho baking potatoes)

good olive oil

chopped fresh chives

For the Whipped Feta:

6 ounces Greek feta, crumbled

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temp

1/3 cup good olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

*Notes: See below for instructions on how to make the whipped feta.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Place the rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and sea salt in the bowl of a mini food processor and pulse 10 to 12 times (or chop finely with a knife). Spread the mixture in a shallow bowl or plate.

Scrub the potatoes, dry them well, and pierce them all over with the tines of a fork. Place the potatoes on the prepared sheet pan and rub them all over with olive oil. Roll each potato in the salt and herb mixture and put them back on the sheet pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes (depending on size), until tender. Slit the top of each potato, squeeze the ends together to open the potato, and top with a generous scoop of whipped feta. Sprinkle with chives or other herbs and serve hot with extra whipped feta on the side.

 Whipped Feta: Place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel bald and pulse until the cheeses are mixed (I used a mixer). Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.