Spanakopita Casserole Recipes

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

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 (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 RECIPE & HISTORY - TRADITIONAL GREEK SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• THAWN PHYLLO DOUGHThe Phyllo dough is hard to make at home, so I suggest you to buy it frozen. Thawn the Phyllo at room temperature a couple of hours or 1 night in the fridge.Leave the Phyllo dough rolled into its bag until the spinach filling is ready, then unroll and use.
• SPINACH AND SCALLIONSFirst of all, rinse the spinach thoroughly, then cut and discard the tougher ends of the stems. After that, cut roughly the spinach leaves. Now, reduce into thin rings 4 whole scallions and the white part of 8 other scallions. Pour the scallions in a pot big enough to cook the spinach along with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Saute the scallions over medium/low heat until tender but not brown, then add the spinach leaves along with 1 generous pinch of salt. Stir-fry the spinach until they lose almost all their liquid, then pour them into a colander, and press gently with a spoon to purge the rest of the water.
• PREPARE THE FILLINGPre-heat the oven to 355° F (180° C).Now, rinse and mince the herbs. Then, pour the spinach along with the Feta crumbles, and the Greek yogurt, and the minced herbs into a bowl. Complete with the black pepper, salt to taste and grated lemon skin. After that, crack 2 eggs and whisk a little, then add them to the other ingredients. Whisk eventually the Spanakopita filling until consistent.
• FILLING THE SPANAKOPITANow, unroll the phyllo dough, then grease a 10 inches square baking dish with olive oil. Then, proceed this way:• Line the casserole with 3 layers of phyllo leaving at least 2 inches of dough over the edges of the dish. If the sheets are not large enough, use two different groups phyllo layers overlapped a little in the center of the baking plate.• After that, grease with olive oil, and add 3 more layers of pastry, rotated 90 degrees to the first layers.• Then, pour the Spanakopita stuffing in the casserole and spread the mixture uniformly.• At this point, cover the mixture with 3 layers of dough, grease with a little amount of olive oil, then add 3 more layers of phyllo.• Finally, grease the pastry lid with 1 tbsp of beaten egg, and spray or use your hands to sprinkle a very little with water.• Bake immediately at 355° F (180°) for 45 to 55 minutes depending on your oven, until the crust become nicely golden and crispy.
• SERVING SPANAKOPITAOnce ready, let the Spanakopita reach lukewarm or room temperature, then cut and serve.

SPANAKOPITA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Rinse and drain spinach. Put the spinach in a large pot with no additional water (the water clinging to the leaves from rinsing will be enough), and cover and steam it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Drain the spinach in a colander. While it's cooling, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the red and green onions and sauté until tender - about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Squeeze the excess water out of the spinach leaves, chop them coarsely (if you have kitchen shears, you can cut up the spinach right in the colander), and put the spinach in a mixing bowl. Add the onions, ricotta cheese, eggs, herbs and spices and stir well. Mix in the feta cheese last so it will stay fairly chunky.
• Place in a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 350°F for approximately 45 minutes (until firm). Cut into 8 pieces.

SWISS CHARD SPANAKOPITA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
• Add white onion; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Add green onions and garlic, and sauté 1 minute.
• Stir in chard; cook 2 minutes or until chard wilts.
• Stir in parsley and mint, and cook 1 minute. Place in a large bowl; cool slightly.
• Stir in cheeses, salt, pepper, and egg whites.
• Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), and coat with cooking spray.
• Top with 1 phyllo sheet, and coat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with 3 additional sheets.
• Cut phyllo stack into a 14-inch square. Place square in center of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, allowing phyllo to extend up long sides of dish.
• Cut 14 x 4-inch piece into 2 (7 x 4-inch) rectangles.
• Fold each rectangle in half lengthwise.
• Place a rectangle against each short side of dish.
• Spread the chard mixture evenly over phyllo.
• Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), and coat with cooking spray.
• Top with 1 phyllo sheet, and coat with cooking spray.
• Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo sheets. Place 18 x 14-inch phyllo stack over chard mixture.
• Fold phyllo edges into center. Coat with cooking spray.
• Score phyllo by making 2 lengthwise cuts and 3 crosswise cuts to form 12 rectangles. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until golden.
• Note: Cut the phyllo stacks so they fit in and up the long side of the baking dish. Arrange folded section against short edges of dish to encase filling.

SPINACH PIE (SPANAKOPITA CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• 1. Mix first 8 ingredients together.
• 2. Butter the bottom of 9" X 13" baking pan. Place 4 phylo leaves on bottom, buttering after each leave.
• 3. Place half of the spinach mix on phylo leaves and then place 4 more leaves on top of spinach, buttering after each leaf. Place remainder of spinach and place one more phylo leaf on the very top. (For a thicker and flakier crust, add more phylo leaves on top.) Sprinkle with butter. Turn phylo at edges towards rim of the pan. Bake in moderately hot oven, 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.