Spanakopita Bites Recipes

SOUTHWEST SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute red pepper and onion in oil until tender. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in 1/2 cup spinach (save the rest for another use). Stir in the cheese, corn, beans, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and salt., Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface with a short end facing you. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Spray sheet with butter-flavored spray; cut into three 14x3-in. strips. , Place a scant tablespoon of filling on lower corner of each strip. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle up, then over, forming another triangle. Continue folding, like a flag, until you come to the end of the strip. , Spritz end of dough with spray and press onto triangle to seal. Turn triangle and spritz top with spray. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling. , Place triangles on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, mash avocado with the mayonnaise, sour cream and vinegar. Serve with warm appetizers.

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.

SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place spinach in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and press to remove all water. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender, but do not brown. Stir in cooked spinach and continue cooking until all moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl combine feta cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley and cinnamon. Stir in spinach and onion mixture.
• Brush the bottom of a 17x11 inch jelly roll pan with butter. Place 1 sheet of dough in the bottom of the pan; brush with butter. Continue to layer 13 more sheets of dough, brushing every other sheet with butter. Spread spinach and cheese mixture over dough. Continue layering with remaining dough, brushing every other sheet with butter. Tuck edges of dough under. Brush top sheet with butter and, using a sharp knife, score top layer into diamonds.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Prepare ingredients: Take the phyllo dough out of the freezer to allow it time to defrost. Using a clean kitchen towel, squeeze all excess moisture out of spinach. In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat.
• Assemble the filling: In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and green onion and saute until soft. Add the spinach and and saute until the spinach is limp. Stir in the lemon juice, and remove off the heat. Let cool. If there is excess liquid, place the mixture in a colander and squeeze out the excess liquid.
• Finish the filling: Cool the spinach mixture completely. Beat the eggs with the feta and nutmeg in a medium size bowl. Add the cheese mixture to the spinach mixture and mix until it's all incorporated well together.
• Preheat the oven: To 350 F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Prepare the dough: Unroll the phyllo dough and lay one sheet flat on your work surface. For the remaining phyllo dough, cover it with a damp towel, so it won't dry out. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle with a bit of oregano. Add one more sheet and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with oregano.
• Fill the dough: Using a pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into 4 long pieces, about 2 inch strips. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling near 1 corner of the phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding a flag. Repeat this with the remaining phyllo and filling.
• Finish the spanakopita: Place your spanakopita triangles on your baking sheets and brush with butter, then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over them if you wish. Bake them for 30 minutes until the triangles are golden brown and crisp. Let cool slightly before serving.

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.

FOR A HEALTHY APPETIZER, MAKE AIR FRYER SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• Place spinach and water in a large pot; cook over high, stirring often, until wilted, 5 minutes. Drain spinach; cool about 10 minutes. Press firmly with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
• Stir together spinach, cottage cheese, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg white, zest, oregano, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper in medium bowl until well blended.
• Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush lightly with oil using a pastry brush. Top with a second sheet of phyllo; brush with oil. Continue layering to form a stack of 4 oiled sheets. Working from the long side, cut the stack of phyllo sheets into 8 (2 1/4-inch wide) strips. Cut the strips in half, crosswise, to form 16 (2 1/4-inch wide) strips. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling onto 1 short end of each strip. Fold one corner over the filling to create a triangle; continue folding back and forth to the end of the strip, creating a triangle-shaped phyllo packet.
• Lightly coat air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place 8 packets, seam side down, in the basket; lightly spray the tops. Cook at 375°F until phyllo is deep golden brown and crispy, 12 minutes, turning packets over halfway through cooking. Repeat with remaining phyllo packets. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix egg, spinach and cheeses. Brush a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with some of the butter., Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared pan; brush with butter. Layer with 7 additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Spread top with spinach mixture. Top with remaining phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter., Freeze, covered, 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1-in. squares. Bake 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers.

SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a small skillet. Saute onions, both white and green, until tender.
• Meanwhile, mix spinach, cottage cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, seasonings, and egg in a medium bowl. Add cooked onions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Grease mini-muffin pans with melted butter.
• When working with phyllo dough, keep a damp towel on hand to keep it from drying out when you aren't working with it. Remove phyllo from package and stack up. Carefully cut dough into squares. Place 3-4 squares of phyllo into each mini cup, shaping gently into a cup. Carefully brush wells with butter, repeat with remaining dough.
• Place a heaping teaspoon into each well, filling the cup. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan. Serve.