Spanikopita

Spanikopita

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword Feta Cheese, Fillo, Phyllo, Side Dish, Spinach
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 12 pieces

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Frozen chopped spinach thawed and well drained
  • 1 large Yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Eggs
  • 10½ oz Feta cheese crumbled
  • 2 Tsp Dried dill weed
  • Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE CRUST

  • 16 oz Phyllo dough sheets
  • 1 Cup Melted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
  • To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.
  • Unroll the phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths.
  • Prepare a 9 1/2″ X 13″ baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
  • To assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo (fillo) letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo (fillo) is used up.
  • Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo (fillo) crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with melted butter.
  • Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with melted butter, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with melted butter, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.
  • Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. Cut Spanakopita ONLY PART-WAY through into squares, or leave the cutting to later.
  • Bake in the 325°F heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo (fillo) crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Tips for Working with Phyllo: As mentioned earlier in the post, remember that phyllo is paper thin and will break as you are working with it. For best results, place phyllo dough sheets in between two very slightly damp kitchen towels (step #4) before you start working with it (unless you think you will work fast enough that the phyllo will not dry out.) Also, be sure to brush each layer with oil; don’t skimp.
  • This recipe was adapted from a recipe found on The Mediterranean Dish website.