Here’s an easy kitchen hack for traditional Greek spinach and cheese pies. A Bundt pan gives you a break from filling and folding all those individual triangles — and it turns a crispy appetizer into a showstopper that could pass as a main course.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 35 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- Four 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 3 1/2 sticks (28 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh dill fronds, roughly chopped
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- One 1-pound package phyllo dough sheets, thawed if frozen
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place half the spinach in a larger clean kitchen towel and wring out any excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining spinach and transfer to the bowl.
- Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and stir until smooth and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk and add a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, remove from the heat and stir to combine. Transfer the spinach mixture back into the bowl. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Fold the feta, parsley and dill into the spinach mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs.
- Line the Bundt pan with phyllo: Melt the remaining 3 sticks butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Brush the inside of 10-cup metal Bundt pan with some of the butter.
- Unfold the phyllo dough and cover with a large damp cloth. Working with 1 sheet at a time, line the Bundt pan with half of the phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter after placing it in the pan. Cover the entire bottom and up the sides of the pan with the sheets; they will overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. The hole in the middle of the pan will be covered.
- Fill the phyllo-lined pan with the spinach mixture and fold over the overhanging pieces of phyllo so they lie flat on top of the filling.
- Cover the filling with phyllo: Working with 1 sheet at a time, cover the filling with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter after placing it in the Bundt pan. The phyllo will hang over the edge of the pan and cover the hole in the center. Push any of the overhang down and along the inside of the pan. Cut away the phyllo covering the hole with a small paring knife.
- Put the Bundt pan on a baking sheet and bake until the pastry becomes slightly domed and deep golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes then invert the pie onto a cutting board. Slice with a serrated knife.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 491 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 184 mg |
| Sodium | 594 mg |
Reviews
I made this, and it was voted a triumph by my friends! I hadn’t use phyllo pastry before, so the video was super helpful. The only changes I made to the recipe : used a bit less butter, and I doubled the crumbled feta (2 x 8oz). I’ll definitely make it again. The only downside is that did indeed take a long time to make, well over an hour. But it looked and tasted wonderful.
This is truly outstanding and feeds a crowd. Leftovers are delicious also!
Looks difficult but is really easy to do, though IMPRESSIVE!
This recipe was a huge success for our dinner party. It was beautiful and delicious. I followed the recipe but did add sautéed mushrooms to the onion mixture. Definitely recommend!
I am very excited about trying this recipe
Gorgeous and delicious.
I made this for a family gathering and it was a big hit! It came out beautifully to my surprise. I can’t wait to make it again!
Would like to make this for family over holidays. An wondering if the phyllo would hold up if I tried to freeze finished dish. Has anyone made it/frozen it? If so, how did it hold up?
I loved the results, hated the prep time. It really did take over an hour to get it into the oven and you need to give yourself time after it bakes to cool (I’ll give it more than 10 minutes next time) before you turn it out of the pan. My filling settled a little leaving a small gap at the top between the dough and filling. Waiting a little longer before turning it out should resolve this issue. The taste was great. The only thing I would change is to increase the amount of feta. The presentation is nice and would work well at a party. Phyllo is a challenge to work with and unfortunately I found this to be more difficult than making a traditional spanakopita. Try it if you want a dish that will impress in both presentation and taste! I recommend watching the video a few times to get the method of layering the dough.
I have never worked with phyllo before but though this recipe took a bit of time, it turned out amazing!!! So delicious and many compliments on the presentation. Will make again for sure for Christmas or party.