Spanakopita

5 from 4 votes

Spanakopita is actually easy to make. The star ingredient is spinach, and other leafy green vegetables, such as Turnip Greens and Swiss Chard.

Prep Time25

Active Time20

Total Time43

Course: Appetizer, Appetizers

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Spanakopita

Yield: people

Calories: 120kcal

Equipment

No special equipment needed

Materials

2 cups fresh spinach trimmed and chopped
2 cups each of fresh alternate greens chopped - JoAnne prefers turnip greens and swiss chard.
1 medium onion chopped
Extra virgin olive oil -- use this both to cook the spinach/greens/onion mixture and brush the dough.
2-3 eggs
1 lb imported Greek Feta cheese crumbled
1-2 cups of alternate cheese Note: JoAnne prefers a mixture of Ricotta, Cottage Cheese, and Feta
1 bunch of fresh dill chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 package 16 oz Phyllo Dough (properly thawed and stored) Note: #4 thickness is recommended

Instructions

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees
Wash and chop greens, remove excess water/pat dry
Heat olive oil, and add chopped onion. and cook over medium heat.
Once the onion is soft, add spinach and greens in bunches. Cook until soft.
Remove excess liquid and allow to cool.
Take cooled greens mixture and add to dairy mixture. Combine well.
Add fresh dill, salt, and pepper to taste.
To assemble the spanakopita, you need a basting brush and a small bowl of olive oil.
Remove sheets of phyllo dough two at a time, keeping them doubled up/together
Drizzle and brush olive oil all over the dough sheets.
You want your spanakopita to be two sheets thick to ensure it can hold the mixture inside.
Cut the dough into 3 long strips.
Place a spoonful of dough at bottom of each strip, then fold tightly in alternating triangle flips.
Continue to baste with olive oil to keep the dough moist and to ensure the seams on the triangles are closed.
You must move quickly to keep the dough from drying out.
Place the wrapped triangle on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Repeat until mixture and dough are gone
Bake for approximately 20 minutes

Video

Notes

Note: Freeze unbaked spanakopita in well-sealed Tupperware or plastic Ziploc bags. Layer with parchment paper. Remove and bake as needed. No need to thaw. Bake frozen.

To properly thaw, place frozen phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight. When the time to use, unpackage and unroll the dough sheets then place them between two lightly damp kitchen clothes. This is to keep your dough from drying out and cracking. You do not want the dough to be wet. Just slight moisture to keep its flexible state.

Nutrition