Tiropitas Recipes

TIROPITA (GREEK CHEESE PIES)

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses. Taste and add a pinch of salt as necessary.
• Add the eggs and mix well.

TRADITIONAL TIROPITA RECIPE (GREEK CHEESE PIE WITH FETA)

Steps:

• If you choose to prepare this Greek tiropita 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 starting.
• Prepare the filling for the tiropita. This traditional tiropita recipe, calls for three different kind of cheese for extra flavour! Use a fork to crumble the feta cheese into a large bowl and add the beaten eggs along with the rest of the grated cheese and heavy cream. Chop some fresh mint and add to the mixture. Season with freshly ground pepper and blend well with a spoon. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
• For this tiropita recipe you will need a large baking tray, approx. 20*30 cm. Using a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of the tray. Place one sheet of phyllo at the bottom of the pan and with a cooking brush sprinkle some olive oil or melted butter. Repeat the procedure, adding 4-5 more sheets of phyllo dough. You will use 5-6 phyllo sheets for the bottom of the tiropita.
• Pour in the feta cheese mixture and smooth with a spatula. With a knife trim some of the excessive phyllo, and fold the excess phyllo sheets flaps over the mixture. Top the tiropita with 4-5 more phyllo sheets, making sure to oil or butter each one, before adding the other; roll in the edges. Brush the top with oil or butter, sprinkle with water and sesame seeds. If using commercial phyllo dough to make this tiropita recipe make sure to scar the top with a sharp knife, to help release the steam.
• Bake the tiropita in a preheated oven at 180C for 45-50 minutes, until the phyllo is crisp and golden. Let it cool down for a while before serving. Enjoy!

TIROPITA

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Add the salt and nutmeg, stirring occasionally, until mixture is bubbly and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Mash the feta cheese with a fork in a bowl and stir in the grated kefalotiri, beaten eggs, and parsley. Pour in the hot white sauce and mix well.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Line the buttered baking dish with a sheet of phyllo dough and brush it with melted butter; keep the remaining phyllo sheets covered with plastic wrap while you work. Repeat with half of the phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter, and letting them come up the sides of the baking dish. Pour in the cheese filling.
• Lay the remaining pastry sheets on top of the filling, brushing each with butter. Brush the top of the last sheet with butter and, with a sharp knife, score the top sheets into strips about 3 inches wide from one end of the baking dish to the other.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve hot.

GREEK FETA CHEESE TRIANGLES RECIPE (TIROPITAKIA)

Steps:

• For the beginners at working with phyllo, check the handling tips before starting.
• To prepare the tiropitakia, start by preparing the filling. Crush the feta cheese into a large bowl and add the grated cheese, the egg, a splash of milk, the yoghurt and season with freshly ground pepper. Mix well with a spoon to combine the ingredients. (At this point you can add some chopped fresh herbs if you like; some fresh dill or mint will surely lift the flavour).
• Preheat the oven at 180C and start preparing the tiropitakia.
• Spread one sheet of the phyllo dough on the kitchen counter and with a cooking brush drizzle with some melted butter or olive oil. Spread one more sheet on top and drizzle with some more butter.
• Cut the sheets into three or four lanes (depending on if you like the tiropitakia to be small or larger). At the end of each lane add one tablespoon of the filling. Fold one corner to form a triangle and continue folding the triangle upon itself, until the entire piece of phyllo is used. Continue with the rest phyllo sheets and filling.
• Oil the bottom of a large baking tray, place the tiropitakia and brush them with some melted butter on top. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy.
• Serve this delicious Greek feta cheese triangles as a great starter with some Greek salad aside.

TRADITIONAL TIROPITA - GREEK CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C)
• Grease (with olive oil) a 9X13 inch (25X35 cm)casserole dish or pan
• In a large bowl smash the feta and anthotiro with a fork.
• Add the mint, dill and pepper and mix.
• In a small bowl beat the eggs and add them to the cheese mixture along with one tablespoon olive oil. Mix well.
• Prepare your working area so that you have space to spread the phyllo.
• Remove your first phyllo sheet carefully and spread it on the bottom of the pan. If it is too big you can scrunch it to fit. Brush with olive oil. I often use an olive oil spray bottle instead. Place the second phyllo on top of the first phyllo and brush with olive oil and continue until you have spread 6 sheets of phyllo.
• Spread the cheese mixture over the phyllo making sure it is spread evenly.
• Cover with 5-6 more phyllo sheets repeating the same process (brushing with olive oil). Make sure that you do not scrunch the final 2-3 phyllo sheets.
• Brush the top layer with olive oil and score. Cut only through the phyllo (not all the way down).
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds, splash a bit of water on top with your fingers and place in the oven.
• Bake for about 40 minutes. Lift side slightly to make sure the bottom is baked. Place on the bottom of the oven for another 5 minutes.
• Let it cool for 15 minutes and cut in pieces.
• Keep in refrigerator. You may reheat it at about 280 degrees or you can eat it at room temperature.

TIROPITAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs and feta cheese until well blended. Brush melted butter onto one sheet of phyllo dough at a time, and layer them in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish until you have 7 sheets. Let the sheets rest up against the sides of the dish as well. Spread the cheese mixture over the phyllo layers, then repeat the process with 7 more sheets, tucking in the sides around the edges.
• Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown and crisp. Cut into squares and serve warm.

TIROPITAS: PHYLLO CHEESE TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.

TIROPITA - GREEK CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• 1. Add feta cheese, cottage cheese and ricotta in a medium size bowl and mix together. Add your seasonings and 7 eggs that have been whisked together.
• 2. Melt your butter and margarine in a small pan and begin brushing each filo sheet with butter on both sides. I would do 15 - 20 sheets.
• 3. This is a photo of the filo sheets while working with them. I just laid them on a piece of wax paper and then some plastic wrap over the top of them. Then a damp wet clothe to keep them most as you work buttering sheet to sheet.
• 4. Begin adding your sheets to your pan that you are going to bake your pie in. It is ok if they tear or are not perfectly straight. It will all work out.
• 5. Add cheese filling on top of the filo sheets.
• 6. Add remaining filo sheets, 10 to 11, brushing each with melted butter. Score into 24 or 36 pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Oh, I also sprinkled a little greek seasonings on the top as well. For the top, I would do again 15 - 20 sheets.
• 7. You can serve this warm or cold the next day right out of refrigerator. I love it either way, it is that good.
• 8. I scored this to 12 slices because we ate it as a side dish with soup but you could easily get 24 smaller slices.
• 9. Here is the feta that I used....it is so so good!

TIROPITA (GREEK SAVOURY CHEESE PIE)

Steps:

• Thaw phyllo dough completely.
• Melt the 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan.
• Whisk in the flour and cook slightly (1-2 minutes) to get rid of 'raw' flour taste.
• Slowly whisk in the milk.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens.
• Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Quickly whisk the eggs into the sauce one at a time.
• Then stir in the cheese.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Butter a 13 X 9" Pyrex baking dish generously (you can also use a larger baking pan - the tiropita just comes out a little thinner, but is nicer for appetizer servings).
• Flatten phyllo dough and cover with a sheet of wax paper and a lightly dampened towel (to avoid drying out).
• Take one sheet at a time and place in baking dish.
• Brush phyllo generously with butter.
• Use about 6 sheets this way and then add 1/2 of cheese filling.
• Layer 3 more sheets of phyllo (brushing each one with butter) and then top with remaining cheese filling.
• Finally, layer 6 sheets of phyllo over top (brushing each one with butter) and fold in the edges to make the tiropita look neat.
• Brush top generously with remaining butter.
• Score top of phyllo carefully with the point of a sharp knife, just cutting through pastry (only cut through the top layers of pastry, do not cut all the way down to the bottom layer), into the size of pieces you will want to serve.
• Make sure you don't cut right through pie.
• Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour, or until golden brown.
• (Make sure bottom crust is nice and golden- if it isn't- put it directly on floor of oven for about 10 minutes to brown faster. You don't want a soggy, uncooked bottom pastry).
• Variation: I often add 8 oz. of a good-quality, chopped, smoked ham to the cheese filling.