Spanakopita Inspired Breakfast Casserole Recipes

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.

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.

BAKED SPANAKOPITA PASTA WITH GREENS AND FETA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the chopped spinach, arugula, herbs and scallion greens with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze the mixture with your hands to wilt, then set aside.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.
• Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and pasta water and stir until smooth. Stir in the wilted greens, half the mozzarella and half the feta until combined. Stir in the pasta until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, then top with remaining mozzarella and feta. Bake until the sauce has thickened and bubbly and the top has browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crisper top, broil for a few minutes.

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.

SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with butter.
• Thoroughly combine 1/4 cup of the melted butter along with all the other ingredients (except the phyllo dough) in a large mixing bowl.
• Lay one half sheet of phyllo dough in baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush dough lightly with some butter. Repeat 7 more times to form a crust. (Don't worry if the sheets hang over the edges of the pan. You will trim them later, if necessary.)
• Spread spinach filling evenly over crust.
• Brush one half sheet of phyllo dough with butter and lay on top of filling, butter side up. Repeat with remaining 7 sheets of dough like before.
• Using a sharp Chef's knife, trim the edges if necessary, then lightly score by cutting through the top layers of pastry into 12 equal squares (this will make it easier to cut once baked.)
• Bake, uncovered, until phyllo topping is golden and filling is bubbling gently, about 45 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to cut all the way through the scored squares.
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

"SPANAKOPITA" INSPIRED BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a wide, shallow saucepan, melt butter and add spinach.
• Cook spinach on medium heat until thawed and beginning to steam.
• Add dill weed and onion powder, continue to cook while moving around pan continuously until spinach has wilted and most of the moisture has either been absorbed by the herbs or evaporated.
• Once spinach has cooked, set aside to cool for a few minutes (you don't want the eggs to scramble when you add them).
• Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with olive oil (either from a spray - be sure the ingredients are just extra virgin olive oil & propellant - or put a few drops in the pan and wipe around the inside with a paper towel).
• Beat eggs separately, then add to spinach mixture along with milk.
• Add to greased baking dish, and using a fork, gently stir / whisk around the spinach / egg mixture until evenly mixed & distributed, breaking up any clumps.
• Crumble feta cheese & sprinkle on top.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, until eggs are set and cheese is melted & just starting to brown.