It's the day after Christmas, and I am sitting on my couch still full from last night. Christmas menu at my parents' house: lamb, beef tenderloin, greek salad, french bread, feta cheese, kefalotiri cheese, green olives, kalamata olives, greek potatoes, greek style green beans & mushrooms, and my contributions - spanakopita (spinach pie) and pastitsio (greek lasagna).
I spent almost two days cooking for Christmas. The best part about spanakopita (as a pie) is that it can be made two days in advance and served cold or close to room temperature.
Ingredients:
5 to 6 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach
4 - 5 eggs (4 extra-large or jumbo, 5 normal)
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
1 package green onions
1 package phyllo dough
2 large containers cottage cheese, large curd (~ 2 lbs)
1 1/2 pounds feta cheese
1/2 C olive oil plus 1 1/2 C for brushing
1 handful rice (~ 1/4 C)
1 stick butter
2 T water
sesame seeds
salt
pepper
Directions:
Thaw spinach and phyllo in refrigerator overnight.
Rinse the spinach with water and squeeze it to release almost all water. Place spinach in a large pan.
Chop the parsley, dill, & green onions.
Crumble the feta into the spinach.
Mix the herbs into the spinach & feta.
Add the cottage cheese and mix.
Add 1/2 C olive oil and mix.
Boil 1 stick of butter in water. When butter is half melted, add rice.
Boil butter & rice for a few minutes.
Add rice mixture to pan and stir.
While mixing, add salt & pepper to taste.
Beat eggs. Mix.
Assembly:
Brush a deep dish pizza pan or medium-height baking pan with olive oil.
Coat bottom with 1 layer of filo. Brush olive oil over top and edges.
Continue until there are 8 layers of filo.
Fill about 1/2 way with the spinach mixture.
Cut the filo around the sides and fold in.
Oil sides.
Continue adding filo layers to top. Brush oil on each layer.
Cut excess filo from sides.
Cut excess filo from sides.
With a sharp knife, cut spanakopita into squares. Cut strips horizontally, then vertically.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake:
Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until top is a golden brown.
Photo of the assembly: I forgot to fold the bottom layer of the phyllo over the spinach mixture
(shown below - the correct way - first time I made spanakopita with my grandmother).
This is what you are technically supposed to do. Fold the edges over after you put the spinach mixture into the pan. When you add the top layer of phyllo, cut the edges and tuck them in. Still tastes great but looks better without the edges folded on the top.
Tips & Extras:
Phyllo - I sometimes buy two packages. You will occasionally open up a package of phyllo and find that it is torn and difficult to pull apart. It's always good to have an extra roll or two on hand.
Salt - If you use imported feta, you can go easy on the salt since it is usually saltier. If you use domestic, you definitely want to make sure you add enough salt to the dish. Taste the mixture before you add the eggs.
Spanakopita Triangles - You will also see little triangles of spanakopita. Those are better served warm because the phyllo is crusty and the spinach/cheese mixture is great to bite into. You can use this mixture if you make triangles.
Pan - This recipe makes a lot of spanakopita. You might have extra for a smaller pan. Sometimes I make a small pan as a gift or freeze it and bake it later.
Mixing - Although messy, use your hands to mix! This way you get all the flavors in every bite. Make sure you have a large enough pan for mixing.
