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Cheesy Matzo Flatbread with Olives - Mediterranean Style

An easy Passover lunch or brunch idea: Cheesy matzo flatbread with olives, red onions, sun dried tomatoes, and other Mediterranean-style ingredients. This might be the BEST matzo recipe you'll eat this Passover!

easy matzo appetizer

Let's be honest. Matzo does NOT taste great on its own. We eat it during the Passover Seder dinner to represent suffering and slavery. Enough said.

But that does NOT mean that we have to eat horribly bland food the rest of Passover! This easy matzo recipe transforms plain, boring matzo into cheesy, delicious Mediterranean goodness.

This is also a great recipe to use up leftover matzo after Passover. 

easy passover recipe - matzo flatbread

Mediterranean toppings

In this recipe, I topped matzo with the following Mediterranean-inspired ingredients:

Of course, you can omit any of the ingredients if you don't like certain ones or don't have them on hand (except for maybe the cheese and/or pesto, read below!).

It takes just 5-10 minutes of prep time, and then the matzo goes into the oven for just 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

ingredients for passover matzo appetizer

What kind of pesto to use

Of course, fresh homemade pesto is always better than anything you can get in a jar. If you want to make your own pesto, try the classic pesto from my pesto crostini recipe, or this parsley pesto from my roasted cauliflower recipe.

But honestly, pesto in a jar works just fine for this recipe because it has so many other ingredients and flavors that the pesto is not the star of the show here. This pesto or this sun-dried tomato pesto would be great!

The pesto is spread over the matzo and makes the matzo softer (along with the melted cheese), easier to cut into smaller pieces, and much tastier. All the salty, savory ingredients give this matzo so much flavor.

What kind of cheese to use

I used three kinds of cheeses for this recipe: feta cheese, and a blend of 2 meltable shredded cheeses. Do NOT skip the feta for this recipe, it gives this matzo flatbread a salty, creamy tang and goes so well with the rest of the Mediterranean style ingredients.

I would also recommend not skipping the meltable shredded cheese in this matzo flatbread. This is because it helps keep the rest of the ingredients in place as it melts. You can use ANY cheese that melts in this recipe - I like combinations of different cheeses for extra flavors, so I used mozzarella and pepper Jack to give the flatbreads a little spice. Gruyere, provolone, or white cheddar would all be fine too.

What kind of marinated artichoke hearts to use

I recommend getting artichoke hearts that are marinated in olive oil for this recipe. They are the tastiest, compared to canned artichokes in water. These are great!!

What kind of olives to use

You can use any kind of olives for this matzo, as long as they are pitted. I personally like green olives (such as these), so I use those. I buy whole olives and slice them myself, but of course you can get sliced olives, or olives stuffed with pimento pepper or cheese if you prefer.

What kind of sun-dried tomatoes to use

You can use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil, water, or dry. If you use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil or water, make sure you drain them well so they don't get the matzo soggy.

If you use dry-packaged sun-dried tomatoes, then soak them in a half a cup of warm water as you get the rest of the ingredients ready, then drain them and slice them. This will make them softer and more pleasant to eat on the matzo flatbread. Get sun-dried tomatoes here.

What kind of capers to use

I am certainly not a caper connoisseur. I just buy whichever tiny capers I see first at the store (or these on Amazon). Don't get the large caper berries for this recipe, they are just too strong and overpowering. You want tiny capers when you bite into the matzo, not an overwhelming caper flavor where you can't taste anything else.

What kind of herbs to use

I love the flavor combination of using different fresh herbs. For this recipe, I used fresh parsley, fresh basil, and scallions. Fresh herbs really give this recipe a fresher taste (no surprise there!). If you must, use a pinch or two of dried herbs, such as dried basil, dried parsley, and/or dried oregano.

I like to put half the herbs on the matzo (or on any other food) before baking, and then garnish with more fresh herbs right after it's done baking. This way you get some baked-in flavor, and then the heat of the just-baked matzo helps release some of the aroma from the fresh herb garnish. The best of both worlds.

These herb scissors make it so easy to cut fresh herbs quickly!

Cheesy matzo appetizer or meal

This cheesy Mediterranean matzo can be served as an appetizer or as a full meal, such as for brunch or lunch. If you're going the appetizer route, break the matzo into 4-6 pieces after it is baked so everyone can have a piece or two. If you're making these for brunch or lunch, then one matzo per person is a good serving size. 

cheesy matzo appetizer squares

Do NOT try to break the matzo into smaller pieces before cooking it - if you've had matzo before then I am sure you know that it crumbles and breaks randomly, not into the shape you intended to break the matzo, but into whatever shape it feels like breaking into.

The matzo will cooperate once it bakes and then you can cut it into small little square pieces.

Looking for MORE matzo recipes and easy Passover recipes?

Give these two super easy desserts a try:

Looking for other ways to use up leftover matzo?

Did you enjoy this recipe? Then share it with a friend on Facebook and save it for later on Pinterest:

mediterranean matzo pinterest graphic

easy matzo appetizer
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Mediterranean Matzo Flatbread

An easy Passover lunch or brunch idea: Cheesy matzo flatbread with olives, red onions, sun dried tomatoes, and other Mediterranean-style ingredients. This might be the BEST matzo recipe you’ll eat this Passover
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: 30 minutes or less
Cuisine: American, Jewish
Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 2 large portions, or 4-8 appetizer portions
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 2 matzo squares
  • 2-3 tablespoons pesto - (optional, for more flavor)
  • ½ cup shredded cheese - such as mozzarella, Gruyere, white cheddar, or a blend of cheeses
  • ½ red onion - thinly sliced
  • ½ cup marinated artichokes - drained and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup olives - sliced
  • ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes - roughly chopped (see notes)
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 teaspoons capers - drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs - such as parsley leaves or basil

Special equipment

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Spread the pesto over each matzo (if using pesto). Sprinkle half the shredded cheese over each matzo. Spread the rest of the ingredients over the matzo, saving some fresh herbs for garnish.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350F, or until the shredded cheese melts and the edges of the matzo turn golden brown.
  • Remove from heat, garnish with fresh herbs, and gently break the matzo into halves or quarters for serving.

Notes

  • Do NOT try to break the matzo before baking! It will crack and crumble. After it bakes, it will be very easy to break into halves or quarters because the cheese and pesto (if using pesto) will soften the matzo a bit and make it easier to break or cut.
  • The pesto is optional, it adds more flavor.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes are the softest when they are soaked in water or oil instead of stored dry. If you're using dry sun dried tomatoes, soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes, then drain and roughly chop for this recipe.
1

Nutrition

Serving: 1matzo | Calories: 549kcal (27%) | Carbohydrates: 30g (10%) | Protein: 25g (50%) | Fat: 38g (58%) | Saturated Fat: 17g (85%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg (29%) | Sodium: 1092mg (46%) | Fiber: 5g (20%) | Sugar: 5g (6%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

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