My go-to 'lazy girl' lunch is easy to make and full of Mediterranean diet-approved ingredients

Chloe PantaziAug 26, 2023, 16:42 IST

Halloumi cheese makes this recipe sing.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I've been making a baked sweet potato with halloumi and a simple Greek salad for lunch for years.
It takes less than 30 minutes to make, and only requires a handful of ingredients.

Growing up in a Greek-Cypriot family, I've been eating halloumi for as long as I can remember.

To me, the cheese — made from goat's and sheep's milk, and today often cow's milk — is perfect eaten as it is, fried with a little olive oil, or on the grill. (It doesn't melt!) And you can eat it any number of ways: grilled then tucked into pitta; grated on top of kritharaki; or thinly sliced with watermelon as a refreshing snack.

But my favorite way to eat the Mediterranean staple is on top of a baked sweet potato. The saltiness of the halloumi cuts the sweetness of the potato, and the semi-hard texture of the cheese goes beautifully with the fluffy mash. It tastes decadent enough that you don't even need to add butter.

A friend introduced me to this quick lunch in college, and I've been hooked ever since. It's become my go-to "lazy girl" lunch on weekdays, and now it can be yours too.

A baked sweet potato with halloumi makes the perfect "lazy girl" lunch. It's filling, delicious, and foolproof to make.

It's nothing fancy, but it tastes decadent.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

You only need a handful of ingredients: a sweet potato, halloumi, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes (plus salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for seasoning). The best part is they're Mediterranean diet-approved.

There are barely any ingredients.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

You only need a handful of ingredients: a sweet potato, halloumi, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes (plus salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for seasoning). The best part is they're Mediterranean diet-approved.

To get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potato with a fork all over then stick it in the microwave for five minutes.

Don't skimp on piercing the potato with a fork.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Next, slice the potato lengthwise and crosswise down the center with a sharp knife — without cutting all the way through. Wrap the potato tightly in foil, and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Don't forget to bunch the foil up around the potato before you stick it in the oven.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Next, slice the potato lengthwise and crosswise down the center with a sharp knife — without cutting all the way through. Wrap the potato tightly in foil, and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.

While your potato is baking, place a pan over medium heat on the stove, then add a drizzle of olive oil. As you wait for the oil to heat up, dice up some halloumi into a handful of inch-sized cubes.

I highly recommend snacking on a cube or two of the halloumi at this stage.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

While your potato is baking, place a pan over medium heat on the stove, then add a drizzle of olive oil. As you wait for the oil to heat up, dice up some halloumi into a handful of inch-sized cubes.

Once the oil is hot, add your halloumi to the pan and turn it with a spoon occasionally, cooking until it's a dark gold. This usually takes about five to eight minutes. Turn off the heat when it's ready.

Turn the halloumi at intervals until it looks like this on both sides.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Once the oil is hot, add your halloumi to the pan and turn it with a spoon occasionally, cooking until it's a dark gold. This usually takes about five to eight minutes. Turn off the heat when it's ready.

While your halloumi is cooking, make the salad. I like to keep it simple and just cut up some cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Then, I add salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to dress the salad.

It doesn't have to be a fancy salad.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

While your halloumi is cooking, make the salad. I like to keep it simple and just cut up some cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Then, I add salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to dress the salad.

When the sweet potato is ready, carefully remove it from the foil and using a fork shimmy it over to a plate. Using the same fork, pull open the potato skin at the top, and add salt and pepper before topping with the fried halloumi.

The potato is done when it's fluffy on the inside.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

When the sweet potato is ready, carefully remove it from the foil and using a fork shimmy it over to a plate. Using the same fork, pull open the potato skin at the top, and add salt and pepper before topping with the fried halloumi.

And there you have it: the laziest girl lunch that also happens to be delicious.

My favorite, fuss-free lunch.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I tried Starbucks' new fall drinks and was surprised by how much I loved the new pumpkin flavor

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

My go-to 'lazy girl' lunch is easy to make and full of Mediterranean diet-approved ingredients

A baked sweet potato with halloumi makes the perfect "lazy girl" lunch. It's filling, delicious, and foolproof to make.

You only need a handful of ingredients: a sweet potato, halloumi, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes (plus salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for seasoning). The best part is they're Mediterranean diet-approved.

To get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potato with a fork all over then stick it in the microwave for five minutes.

Next, slice the potato lengthwise and crosswise down the center with a sharp knife — without cutting all the way through. Wrap the potato tightly in foil, and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.

While your potato is baking, place a pan over medium heat on the stove, then add a drizzle of olive oil. As you wait for the oil to heat up, dice up some halloumi into a handful of inch-sized cubes.

Once the oil is hot, add your halloumi to the pan and turn it with a spoon occasionally, cooking until it's a dark gold. This usually takes about five to eight minutes. Turn off the heat when it's ready.

While your halloumi is cooking, make the salad. I like to keep it simple and just cut up some cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Then, I add salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to dress the salad.

When the sweet potato is ready, carefully remove it from the foil and using a fork shimmy it over to a plate. Using the same fork, pull open the potato skin at the top, and add salt and pepper before topping with the fried halloumi.

And there you have it: the laziest girl lunch that also happens to be delicious.