Easy Spanakopita Greek Spinach And Feta Pie Recipes

SPINACH PIE IN PUFF PASTRY (SPANAKOPITA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment (preferable) but you can use aluminum foil with a light spray of cooking oil.
• Melt butter and cook onions for a few minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
• Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add cooked onion, spinach, feta, parmesan, bread crumbs. Add salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Mix well with fork.
• Place one unfolded sheet of puff pastry on the parchment or sprayed aluminum foil. Spread the spinach mixture over the pastry, leaving a border of one inch all around the edges. Keep the spinach flat; do not pile high.
• Brush the edges with the egg wash made with the last egg. Cover with the second sheet of pastry that has been slightly flattened with a rolling pin to one inch bigger than the first sheet. (This ensures all the spinach will be covered). Press edges together with fingertips or fork, making sure mixture is sealed well. Brush just the top with egg wash, careful not to drip any down the sides. Cut a few slits in the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape.
• Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

GREEK SPINACH BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, spinach and feta cheese. Stir in the flour, pepper and salt. Add eggs and mix well. , Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, about 1 hour.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

EASY GREEK SPINACH PIE FOR BEGINNERS (SPANAKOPITA)

Steps:

• If you choose to prepare this Greek spinach pie recipe with commercial phyllo dough, it is important to thaw completely the phyllo dough by putting it in the fridge from the previous day. For the beginners at working with phyllo, check the handling tips before start making the spanakopita.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• To prepare this spinach pie recipe, sauté the onions in a large knob of butter until soft and turning golden. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted. Cool, then tip into a bowl (leaving behind any excess liquid from the spinach) and mix in the nutmeg, feta, eggs, spring onion and season. This will be the filling of the spanakopita.
• For this spinach pie recipe you will need a non stick baking pan, about 20-22cm. Put the first sheet of filo in the pan and brush with butter, letting the excess hang over the sides. Keep going with the rest of the sheets, turning a little before adding each additional pastry sheet and brushing all over with butter. When all the pastry is used up, tip in the filling of the spanakopita and fold over the excess pastry to cover. If you like to prepare a larger pan of spanakopita for a big crowd, double the ingredients for the filling and use a 25*35 cm baking dish. Layer the 4-5 phyllo sheets to form the bottom of the spanakopita, tip in the filling and top with 4-5 more phyllo sheets.
• Butter the top of the spinach pie with melted butter and scar with a sharp knife. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden.
• Leave the spanakopita cool down for 10-15 minutes before cutting into pieces. Serve the spinach pie with Greek feta salad. Enjoy!

LIGHTER SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Pack the spinach into a large heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over and press the spinach down with a wooden spoon. Leave for 1 min to wilt, stirring a couple of times so all the leaves are submerged. Tip into a large colander and place under running cold water to cool quickly. Drain well - squeeze out any excess water by pressing the spinach down with the wooden spoon, then squeezing with your hands. Using kitchen paper, pat the spinach dry into a compact shape, lay it on a board and roughly chop, then set aside.
• Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the shallot, spring onions and garlic, and fry over a high-ish heat for 3-4 mins, stirring often, until softened and just starting to brown. Lower the heat, tip in the spinach and stir for 1 min only to finish drying. Season with pepper and a good pinch of nutmeg, and leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and put a baking sheet in to heat up. In a bowl, stir the ricotta into the beaten egg and mix in the 2 tbsp dill, the chives and mint. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.
• Lightly oil a 20cm square x 4cm deep cake tin. Mix the remaining oil with the 1 rounded tsp dill. Lay the filo pastry sheets on a large board. Brush the top one with a little of the dill oil, then carefully lower it into the tin to line the base and 2 of the sides, with an overhang on both sides. The pastry doesn't have to fit in smoothly - a few wrinkles and folds in it are fine. Brush a bit more oil over the second pastry sheet and this time lay it down in the tin the other way round, so it drapes over and lines the base and the other 2 sides. The tin should now be completely covered, with a pastry overhang all round. Repeat the criss-cross layering with 2 more oiled filo sheets.
• Stir the ricotta mixture into the spinach, then crumble in the feta. Lightly stir it in so you leave a few chunky pieces. Spoon this filling into the lined tin and level it. Bring the pastry sides up and over the filling, then brush a little oil over them. Brush the remainder of the oil over the last filo sheet on the board. Cut the sheet in half widthways and lay one half over at a time, in big folds, to cover the filling and give you a pastry topping.
• Place the tin on the heated baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins. Remove the tin and transfer to a serving plate. If your tin doesn't have a loose bottom, carefully upturn it onto a flat board, then flip it over onto the serving plate. Serve warm or cold with minted yogurt dip and a tomato, cucumber & pepper salad (see below), if you like.

SPANAKOPITA: GREEK SPINACH PIE WITH FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Wash and drain the chopped spinach very well. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water. The spinach should be dry before you begin cooking.
• Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or large Dutch oven. Sauté the onions and green onions until tender.
• Add the spinach, parsley, and dill , and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted and heated through.
• Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. The spinach mixture should be on the dry side; if using frozen spinach, you will want to cook it until any excess moisture evaporates. Remove from the heat and set the spinach mixture aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the feta, eggs, and ricotta cheese.
• Add the cooled spinach mixture and mix until combined.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the melted butter with the olive oil in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease 2 (9 x 12-inch) rectangular pans.
• Carefully remove the phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Most packages come in 12 x 18-inch sheets when opened fully.
• Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the sheets in half to make 2 stacks of 9 x 12-inch sheets. To prevent drying, cover 1 stack with wax paper and a damp paper towel while working with the other.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Layer about 10 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of each pan, making sure to brush each sheet with the butter-olive oil mixture before layering the next.
• Add half of the spinach mixture to each pan in an even layer and press with a spatula to flatten.
• Layer another 10 phyllo sheets on top of the spinach mixture in each pan, making sure to brush each sheet well with the butter-olive oil mixture.
• Before baking, score the top layer of the phyllo (making sure not to puncture the filling) to enable easier cutting of pieces later. (You can place the pan in the freezer to harden the top layers and then use a serrated knife to make the cutting easier.)
• Bake until the pie turns a deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let cool for a few minutes and then slice, serve, and enjoy.

EASY SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and place a tray on the middle shelf.
• Thaw the spinach and squeeze most of the moisture out. If using fresh spinach you will need to wilt it in a pan before using and then strain to remove the juices.
• Sauté the green onions and leeks in a pan with a splash of olive oil. Add the salt and cook until softened.
• Add the herbs and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir in the spinach and leave to cool before adding the feta and eggs.
• Mix in the crumbled feta and have a taste, adding more salt if needed. Add the eggs and lemon zest, mix well to combine and set aside.
• Combine the oil and melted butter. Brush your pie dish with the butter / oil then start layering the phyllo pastry, brushing each leaf, letting the ends hang over the edge.
• Layer 5-6 phyllo squares over the bottom of the dish then add the filling in an even layer, packing it down. Fold the edges over the top and brush with butter/ oil. You might want to add some additional filo sheets in the middle, if needed.
• Use a knife to score the pie so that it will be easier to slice once baked. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
• Bake for 45 minutes, covering with foil after 15-20 minutes to avoid the pie colouring too quickly. Cool before slicing (otherwise you won't be able to slice neatly).

SPANAKOPITA RECIPE (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Make the Filling:
• For Fresh spinach: In a large pan, wilt the spinach - you will likely have to work in batches - for about 4 minutes. Pour into a colander or, better yet, a salad spinner to drain any excess water. Roughly chop.
• If using frozen spinach, defrost spinach and squeeze out all excess moisture in a colander. Using a kitchen cloth or a cheese cloth helps.
• Chop the scallions and herbs.
• Transfer spinach, scallions, herbs to a large bowl.
• Add the both the cheeses, black pepper, and eggs.
• Mix well (I like to use my hands). Set aside the filling.
• Phyllo Crust/Assembling the pie:
• Preheat oven to 375ºF convection (if you have it).
• Melt 1 stick of butter in a pan or in the microwave. If using olive oil, pour out at least 1 cup in a bowl (you may need up to another 1/2 cup).
• Make sure the box of phyllo is at room temperature. When you're ready to use it (not before or it will dry out), unwrap it so it is in one rectangular pile.
• I like to trim my phyllo before assembling the spanakopita, so one rectangle easily fits into my baking pan with no overhang. **See note on phyllo.
• Dip your pastry brush in the melted butter or extra virgin and brush a 9" x 13" baking pan with butter or olive oil.
• Pick up one leaf of phyllo and lay it in the pan. Lightly brush phyllo with oil/butter. Repeat layering the phyllo buttering each individual leaf. Layer about half of the leaves(** see note) in your package on the bottom.
• Dampen a kitchen towel and lay it on top of the unused phyllo. This keeps them from drying out.
• Pour the filling on top of the phyllo leaves in the pan. Evenly distribute it across the pan.
• Start making your top crust by adding a leaf of phyllo, brushing it with butter or olive oil it and adding another on top. Repeat the process for the rest of the leaves.
• Make sure to butter/oil your top piece of phyllo.
• Score the pie with your knife. You should be able to divide the pie evenly into 12 square pieces.
• Bake pie until top is brown, and phyllo layers are visible (like in the photo) about 45 minutes, to an hour. Start checking for color after 30 minutes.

SPANAKOPITA BITES: SPINACH AND FETA CHEESE APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Wash and drain the chopped spinach very well. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water very well. Spinach should be quite dry.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or dutch oven. Sauté the onions and green onions until tender. Add the spinach, parsley, and dill and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted and heated through. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the spinach mixture until the excess moisture evaporates. You want it to be on the dry side. Remove from heat and set the spinach aside to cool.
• Once the spinach has cooled, add the crumbled feta, eggs, and ricotta cheese, and mix until combined.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly brush the insides of the frozen phyllo shells with olive oil and fill with spinach mixture until approximately 3/4 full.
• Bake the filled shells on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through. Serve immediately.

EASY SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH AND FETA PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Gently roll out each sheet of puff pastry to the size of your pan (approximately 9 x 13). Spray pan with spray and place the first sheet of pastry.
• Making sure that all the liquid has been squeezed and drained from the spinach, mix spinach with the feta, cottage cheese, eggs, pepper and dill. Spread mixture in pan.
• Top mixture with second sheet of pastry and brush with egg wash (optional).
• Bake till golden brown, approximately 35 minutes.