In what seems to be a continuing theme of vegetables and cheese wrapped in pastry, here we have Spanakopita, which consists of a savory filling of spinach and feta, wrapped in phyllo dough. This is a greek speciality that you’ve no doubt had as an appetizer on the Danforth, but the filling is really easy to pull together. This leaves you time to get your phyllo station set up (see here for details). 

A recent discovery from Elly Says Opa, is that instead of using butter to layer the dough, you can use olive oil instead. This makes it a little more heart healthy, but it also eliminates the step of melting the butter, and it stays the perfect consistency to brush on. 

You can make mini triangles as an appetizer or snack, or like the Barefoot Contessa, which is where this recipe is from, you can make larger versions and eat with a big green salad for dinner. The best part of this recipe is that you can freeze the unbaked Spanakopita, and then bake them from frozen as you need them for a quick meal.

Spanakopita

Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 green onions, chopped

10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup small diced or crumbled feta cheese

frozen phyllo dough, defrosted (just thaw the whole package – you can re-freeze what you don’t use later)

olive oil for brushing

flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

  1. In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Add the green onions and cook for 2 more minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the onions, spinach, eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, salt and pepper together. Fold in the feta.
  3. Set up your phyllo station, and stack up flour layers with a light brushing of olive oil between each one. (Check out this post for more detailed instructions).
  4. Slice the dough into 2, 3, or 4 columns, depending on how big you want your triangles to be. Use 1/3 cup filling for big triangles, or a few tablespoons for smaller, appetizer versions. Fold up the triangles like a flag, and place seam side down on a baking sheet.
  5. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake at 375 until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot