Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Blood Oranges

Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Blood Oranges is one of our favorite appetizers. Greek Halloumi cheese, grilled and topped with blood oranges and fresh thyme. 

The Story Behind the Recipe

During a visit to the Tampa Florida area, we stumbled upon a delightful area called the Sponge Docks which turned out to be world-famous as a historic dock where sponge divers brought their harvest in the early 1900s.

Now the area is filled with fun little shops that sell hundreds and hundreds of sponges. It’s also a large Greek community with some of the best Greek restaurants and markets around.

We bought some Halloumi cheese in one of the markets and this recipe was born.

What is Halloumi Cheese?

Halloumi cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from both goat’s milk and sheep’s milk. It reminds me of feta but it’s not crumbly; it has a salty taste which I really like, and it has a high melting point which is why it stands up to grilling and frying. Don’t expect this cheese to melt in your mouth when you eat it. It’s got a great texture with a bit of a chew to it. That’s why it works so well sitting on top of a slice of crispy baguette and topped with a beautifully grilled slice of blood orange.

You can buy halloumi cheese in the specialty cheese section of many upscale markets in most areas.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of Halloumi cheese
• 1 blood orange cut into 4 slices and then each slice halved
• 1 French baguette sliced into 2-inch slices
• 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 9-10 fresh thyme sprigs
• Honey

Let’s Make Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Blood Oranges

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Brush both sides of the baguette with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Place the baguette slices on a cookie sheet and bake them until they just start to turn brown and crispy; usually about 10-15 minutes.
4. When the baguette slices are brown and a little crispy, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
5. Change oven temperature to broil.
6. Cut Halloumi cheese into 8 even 1-ounce slices.
7. Turn the stovetop burner on medium-high.
8. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a cast iron or heavy skillet.
9. Add the Halloumi slices and fresh thyme leaves.
10. Grill the cheese for 3-5 minutes on each side until it turns to a light brown color.
11. When the cheese is brown on both sides, top each piece of cheese with 1/2 orange slice.
12. Place them in the oven on broil for another 3 minutes – watch them carefully so they don’t burn and if they are getting too brown remove them before the 3 minutes.
13. Serve on top of toasted baguette slices.
14. Drizzle with olive oil and honey.
15. Garnish with the remaining thyme sprigs.

More KKM Appetizer Recipes

• Shrimp Salad
• Grilled Bread Cheese
• Burrata with Tomato Confit
• Peaches and Gouda Skewers