Eastern European · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Shopska-Style Baked White Cheese
Сирене по шопски
Salty Bulgarian white cheese baked in little clay pots on a bed of juicy tomatoes and sweet roasted peppers, crowned with an egg and fresh parsley. A lighter take on the classic tavern favourite, with a little more vegetables and a little less cheese.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 19% · Fat 59% · Protein 22%
Track it in BerryFit and see how it fits your own daily target. Get the app ›
Ingredients
For 4 servings- 180 g (about 1 1/4 cups crumbled)Bulgarian white brined cheese (sirene) or feta
- 4 medium500 gRipe tomatoes
- 2 large330 gRed bell peppers
- 1 small15 gGreen chili pepper (optional)
- 4 large200 gEggs
- 2 tsp9 gOlive oil
- 1 tspSweet paprika
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper, ground
- 1 small handful10 gFresh flat-leaf parsley
Steps
- 1
Heat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F.
- 2
Place the whole bell peppers on a baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes, turning once, until the skins blister and char.
- 3
Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover and let them steam for 10 minutes.
- 4
Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and finely slice the chili, if using.
- 5
Peel the roasted peppers, remove the seeds and cut the flesh into strips.
- 6
Lower the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F.
- 7
Lightly brush four small clay pots or ramekins with a little of the olive oil.
- 8
Divide the tomatoes between the pots, then add the pepper strips and chili.
- 9
Crumble the cheese evenly over the vegetables.
- 10
Drizzle over the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika.
- 11
Cover the pots with lids or foil and bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling.
- 12
Uncover, make a small hollow in each pot and crack an egg into it.
- 13
Bake uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until the egg white is fully set; bake a few minutes longer if you prefer a firm yolk, which is advised for young children, pregnant people and older adults.
- 14
Chop the parsley and scatter it over the pots with the black pepper.
- 15
Serve hot, taking care as clay pots stay very hot.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use a firm, salty feta made from sheep's or goat's milk if you can't find Bulgarian sirene.
- For a lighter version, swap half the cheese for crumbled low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta.
- Use jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced, instead of roasting fresh ones to save time.
- Leave out the green chili or swap it for a pinch of mild chili flakes if you prefer less heat.
Storage
This dish is best eaten fresh while the egg is just set; if you have leftovers, refrigerate them within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through. Do not freeze, as the eggs and cheese turn rubbery and watery.
Make ahead
Roast, peel and slice the peppers and dice the tomatoes up to 2 days ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Assemble the pots with vegetables and cheese just before baking, then add the eggs fresh.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
Track this in BerryFit
Log Shopska-Style Baked White Cheese in one tap and see how it fits your remaining calories for today.
Or ask Coach Berry to change it
Allergens and nutrition
Contains: MilkEggs
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (308 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 258 kcal | 84 kcal |
| Protein | 14.8 g | 4.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12.5 g | 4.1 g |
| of which sugars | 7 g | 2.3 g |
| Fiber | 3.6 g | 1.2 g |
| Fat | 17.3 g | 5.6 g |
| of which saturated | 8 g | 2.6 g |
| Sodium | 595 mg | 193 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
