Za’atar-Crusted Halloumi & Mixed Grains
3 easy steps to a delicious dinner
- Milk
- Sesame
- Wheat
For this 15-minute vegetarian dish, you’ll coat grilling cheese (aka halloumi) in a za’atar spice blend and sear until golden. Serve it over a zucchini-studded grain blend seasoned with Vidalia onion and romesco sauce (a savory tomato-pepper-almond blend), then finish with a drizzle of yogurt for a wholesome, colorful, delicious meal—fast!
Ingredients
1 unit
Zucchini
6 ounce
Grilling Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 tablespoon
Za'atar Spice
(Contains: Sesame)
½ ounce
Vidalia Onion Paste
1 unit
Microwavable Grain Blend
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
6 tablespoon
Romesco Sauce
4 tablespoon
Yogurt
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. Cut grilling cheese into four large pieces (eight pieces for 4 servings). Trim and quarter zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1⁄2-inch-thick quarter-moons. • Place Za’atar Spice on a plate. Working one at a time, press cheese pieces into Za’atar Spice until fully coated. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat (for 4, use a large, high-sided pan). Add cheese and cook until browned, 1-2 minutes per side (while the cheese cooks, discard any remaining Za’atar Spice from plate; reserve plate). • Turn off heat. Transfer cheese to plate used for spice. Reserve pan.
• Heat another drizzle of oil in pan used for cheese over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes. • Massage grain blend in package to separate grains. • Reduce heat under pan to medium. Add grain blend, Vidalia onion paste, and stock concentrate to pan with zucchini. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and grains are warmed through, 1-2 minutes. TIP: If grains begin to pop, cover pan with a lid.
• Remove pan from heat and add romesco sauce; stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Divide zucchini and grains between shallow bowls. Drizzle with yogurt. Top with grilling cheese. Serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the za'atar-crusted halloumi and romesco sauce, though some found the dish overly salty or the flavors clashing.
- Ease of prep: Customers praised how quick and easy this 15-minute meal was to prepare, with simple steps and minimal cleanup.
- Suggestions: Consider cooking the cheese last to serve it warm; some preferred less romesco sauce for a more balanced flavor.
- Portions: Several mentioned wanting more halloumi or vegetables, suggesting the meal could be more filling with larger portions.
- Texture: Some found the grilling cheese challenging to cook properly, becoming either too melty or rubbery when cooled.
Reviews from our home cooks
I love dishes like these! The halloumi with za'atar was AWESOME! The grains with the zucchini and romesco sauce complemented the halloumi very well! Would DEFINITELY order this again!
At first I thought the portion sizes for the halloumi looked small, but this dish is delicious and well balanced. It was simple to put together and didn't take long to make. I'd order this again.
Absolutely fantastic! A bit more halloumi (like 1.5x) would have been even better, but this is *easily* a repeat, and I'll have to keep an eye out for other dishes with romesco sauce in the future - it was crazy good.
This was the first time we had this with the pre-packed mixed grains: love that! It still tastes great but is so much easier to prepare and takes up very little time!
Wow! This is intense. Ok, so here are some suggestions: 1. Halve the amount of romesco sauce in the recipe. It's REALLY overpowering. 2. Change the order of cooking--do the zucchini and grains 1st and THEN do the halloumi, so it's not cold when served. (Also, even though it's quick it's a very messy dish to cook so I doubt I'd order it again)
I think most of the recipes are delicious and this one was too but had two things that many don't - My kids actually ate it! And, it was actually quick and easy to make!
Wow! This brand of Greek cheese is the best yet! And the combo of grains + onion paste + sauce was cravable. My zucchini was still frozen on arrival but fine after sautéing. Please make this meal available again and often!
One of my favorites! I had some trouble with the cheese sticking. It wasn't pretty, but it still tasted good. The Za'atar Spice didn't fully coat the cheese. Maybe if there was twice the amount of spice, the coating would have prevented the cheese from sticking.
Wasn't sure if I would like this because of how out of my comfort zone it appeared, but it was quick and easy to make. I could definitely see ordering this again on a week where I want something but don't want to put in as much effort.
Delicious! A great comfort meal. It came together so quickly on a day I needed a break, a bowl of tasty-healthy food, and TV time.
