Sheet-Pan Feta With Chickpeas and Tomatoes

In a spread of Greek appetizers, or meze, there’s often a warm feta dish like bouyiourdi (baked feta with tomato and hot peppers) or a saganaki (fried cheese). This recipe combines elements of these two classic appetizers into a sheet-pan meal. Softened feta provides a salty, creamy counterpoint to sweet, juicy tomatoes and chickpeas that are sticky from honey and spicy from dried chile. Try this version, then riff wildly: Switch out tomatoes for mini peppers, olives, dates or cauliflower. Swap the hot honey for anchovies, harissa, smoked paprika or turmeric. Eat with pita, grains, salad greens, hummus or yogurt.

Ingredients

• 3

  cups cooked chickpeas (homemade or two 15-ounce cans), drained, rinsed and shaken dry

• 2

  pints (16 to 20 ounces) cherry or Sungold tomatoes

• 1

  shallot, thinly sliced

• ¼

  cup extra-virgin olive oil 

• 2

  tablespoons honey

• 1

  teaspoon mild chile flakes (like gochugaru) or ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 2

  (6- to 8-ounce) blocks of feta (see Tip), sliced 1-inch-thick

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, stir together the chickpeas, tomatoes, shallot, olive oil, honey and chile flakes. Season with salt, then spread in an even layer. Arrange the feta among the chickpeas. Roast until the feta and tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes (no need to stir). Eat right away. (The feta will harden as it cools; reheat leftovers.)