Spanakopita from scratch to finish in under an hour?
It didn’t seem likely. Most recipes for this savory “pie” (made from layer upon layer of feta cheese, chopped spinach and parchment-thin phyllo dough) take more than an hour of assembly and baking.
I wanted something a little more weeknight-friendly. One traditional option was spanakopita triangles. Instead of baking the dish in a large pan similar to lasagna, this method stuffs small parcels of phyllo and folds them into triangles.
This trick certainly cuts prep time, but I find it also results in a less flavorful spanakopita. Phyllo is so delicate, folding it around the spinach and cheese requires that substantially less filling is used. And in my world, more feta is better.
But that got me thinking. I’d recently been impressed by a technique that shaved time off a meat loaf recipe by baking it in muffin tins, rather than as a slower-cooking loaf. Should work for spanakopita, too.
While standard muffin tins work, oversized tins are even better. The spanakopita still cooks quickly, but the assembly is a little easier and one “muffin” is large enough to make a meal.
This recipe makes enough for four oversized cups, or about six standard muffin tins.
Quick spanakopita
Olive oil cooking spray
110-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2cups (about 1/2 pound) crumbled feta cheese
3/4cup cottage cheese
1small yellow onion, diced
2eggs, beaten
1/4cup chopped fresh parsley
1teaspoon lemon juice
1teaspoon dill seed
1/4teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
209-by-14-inch sheets phyllo dough
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally spray the muffin tins with olive oil. Set aside.
Place the spinach in a kitchen towel, wrap tightly and twist it over the sink to remove excess water. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and finely chop.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cheeses, onion, eggs, parsley, lemon juice, dill seed, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Unfold the phyllo sheets on a dry counter, leaving them stacked. Using a large knife or pastry scraper, cut the sheets into halves vertically.
Gently press two or three pieces of the phyllo into each muffin cup. The edges of the dough should fold outward over the sides. Lightly spray the phyllo with olive oil.
Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture in each cup. Press another two pieces of phyllo into each cup over the spinach. Lightly spray the phyllo with oil.
Continue layering spinach mixture and phyllo, lightly spraying each with oil. Finish with a spoonful of spinach mixture, then fold the edges of phyllo over the top.
Spray each cup again with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges of dough are lightly browned. If the phyllo browns too quickly, cover pan with foil.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
