Mini Spinach And Cottage Cheese Pies Recipes

SPINACH CHEESE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until transparent. Add spinach and cook, stirring, just until bright green; do not overcook. Transfer to a colander and let cool to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer spinach to a large bowl and add eggs, cottage cheese, muenster cheese, salt and pepper; toss together lightly but thoroughly. Spoon into small pastry shells or into a crust-lined 9-inch pie pan. Fill shells or pie pan almost to top; do not pack filling. Arrange on baking sheets and bake 18 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown on top; large pie will take longer. (Filled pies can be frozen and baked, directly from freezer.)

SPANAKOPITA (SPINACH AND CHEESE PIE)

Steps:

• Mix spinach, feta, cottage cheese, onion, parsley, dill and salt.
• Add beaten agges and combine well.
• Brush bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with the softened butter.
• Unfold the filo leaves and cut in half, crosswise.
• Wrap and refreeze one half of the filo.
• Cover the other half of the filo with a damp towel.
• Gently separate one filo leaf from the stack.
• Place it in the baking dish and fold over the edges to fit the bottom of the dish.
• Brush the entire surface of the filo lightly with melted butter.
• Repeat steps 7-9 until you have used half of the filo leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo in the dish.
• Layer the remaining filo over the spinach mixture in the same manner as the first half of the filo.
• Cut through the top layers of the filo leaves with a sharp knife, making a diamond pattern (this will make it easier to cut the spanakopita later).
• Cook uncovered until golden, about 35 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

MINI SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat oil in heavy pot over medium high heat.
• Saute onion and garlic until onion is starting to turn yellow, not quite brown.
• Add spinach in batches and saute until wilted.
• In bowl, beat cottage cheese, eggs, oregano, salt and pepper if using, together.
• Add spinach mixture and mix thoroughly.
• Spoon batter into muffin tin, fill 3/4 full - I use paper cupcake liners. This makes about 16 to 18 muffins. I just use my dozen cupcake pan, and then put the leftover mix into small ramekin cups.
• Variation: grease the muffin tin, then cut flour tortillas (use a flattened out cupcake liner as a template) into rounds, carefully push the tortillas into greased muffin cups, fold over excess tortilla from the side. Fill 3/4 full with mixture.
• Top each muffin with heaping teaspoon of crumbled feta.
• Bake until top starts to brown, about 30 minutes (without tortilla) or increase time to about 35 to 40 minutes with tortilla.