Easy Spanakopita Recipe

• porții: 8 servings
• timp activ: 10 minutes
• timp total: 1 hour

Ingrediente

8 to 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed (1 bag or box)

7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs, whisked

4 scallions, finely sliced (both white and green parts)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

A Few grinds black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 cup clarified butter, melted

1 pound package frozen phyllo dough, 9”x14”, thawed to room temperature, unopened until just before using

Instrucțiuni

Heat the oven to 350°F. Squeeze the spinach in the sink to remove as much liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, combine the feta cheese, cottage cheese, and cream cheese until well incorporated (it helps to stir the room-temp cream cheese in a small bowl first to loosen it and smooth it out).

Add the eggs and mix well. Stir in the scallions, spinach, salt, pepper, and dill.

Brush the bottom of a 13” x 9” x 2”-inch glass or metal (not dark) pan with a teaspoon or two of the clarified butter.

Remove one sleeve of the phyllo from its wrapping and gently unfold it. Trim the long side by an inch so it will fit into the pan. Lay the entire stack in the bottom of the pan and smooth to fit.

Spoon the filling over the phyllo and gently spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.

Remove the other sleeve of the phyllo from its wrapping and do the same as with the first: trim the long side by an inch so it will fit into the pan. Lay the entire stack over the filling layer and smooth to fit.

Use the tip of a sharp chef's knife to mark where your cuts will be around the edge of the pan: one mark on the short side and three marks on the long side, evenly spaced. Then cut the length of the phyllo down the middle, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan. Make three cuts crosswise to get 8 large pieces, again cutting all the way through to the bottom of the pan.

Pour the melted clarified butter evenly over the assembled and cut pie. Use the tip of the knife to again cut through where the cuts were made previously to ensure the butter gets fully absorbed.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the spanakopita rest for a few minutes, then cut from the pan and serve.

Note

• Frozen Spinach. I prefer the ease and convenience of frozen spinach because I usually have it on hand and it tastes as good as fresh spinach when it’s all baked in. Of course, you can use fresh spinach after you wilt it and just like the frozen, you’ll need to drain and squeeze out any excess moisture.

• The Cheeses. For the best and most robust flavor get the feta cheese in a block and crumble it yourself. Pre-crumbled feta cheese will work too so no worries if that’s what you have. My recipe also includes cottage cheese and cream cheese as well.

• Scallions. These are young onions add the perfect amount of onion flavor without being as strong as red or yellow onions.

• Fresh Dill. This awesome herb is what gives the filling its pop of flavor. It’s a game-changer in Spanakopita! I love fresh chopped dill but you can use dried dill in a pinch.

• A note about the filling: The most important note about making the filling is to be sure that the thawed spinach is dried out as much as possible. Squeeze the juices from the spinach in a colander in the sink, then do it again! The less liquid the spinach brings to the mix, the better.

• Substitute dried dill if you don’t have fresh dill. Use two teaspoons of dried dill for this recipe if you can’t get fresh herbs.

• Use fresh parsley if you don’t have dill. Fresh flat-leaf parsley is another great herb that tastes great in Spanikopita.

• Ricotta Cheese can be substituted for cottage cheese. It’s a classic that works well in this recipe too.

• If scallions aren’t available, substitute chopped onion. One clove of garlic can also be included.

• Make this ahead of time and bake later. The Spanakopita can be made ahead and left in the refrigerator, covered, for a day, then baked when you’re ready. Or you can make it ahead and fully bake it, let it cool completely, and refrigerate. Then when you’re ready to serve just reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.

• Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat slices on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 -13 minutes, or until heated through.

• Freeze baked Spanakopita in a freezer-safe dish for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating in the oven.

Nutriție

• Dimensiune porție: 1 piece
• Calorii: 523 kcal
• Grăsime totală: 37 g
• Grăsime saturată: 21 g
• Grăsime nesaturată: 13 g
• Grăsime trans: 0.01 g
• Colesterol: 141 mg
• Sodiu: 1004 mg
• Carbohidrați totali: 34 g
• Fibre dietetice: 2 g
• Zaharuri totale: 2 g
• Proteine: 14 g