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Hi Bold Bakers!
When it comes to savory flavor combinations, spinach and feta are a match made in heaven. Lovely fresh spinach cooked with garlic and herbs, then mixed with crumbled salty cheese, all wrapped up in a delicate Homemade Phyllo Dough triangle… I’m not sure it gets better than this. What could it be?
Well, it’s my Quick and Easy Spanakopita recipe of course! If you’ve never had spanakopita or never made it at home, get ready to add it to your recipe box — permanently!
How Do You Fold Spanakopita Triangles?
Making the filling for these pretty pastry packages is really simple. You simply sauté the greens with garlic, green onion, dill, and some seasoning. After the spinach mixture comes together (in less than 10 minutes) you crumble in the cheese and add in a bit of egg. The egg and cheese bind together and make the spinach mixture creamy rich and thick.
At this point, the rest of this recipe is really just a matter of assembly. Working with phyllo dough may seem difficult if you’ve never done it before, but it really could not be easier. And the best part is that it’s perfectly good store-bought! If you buy it at the store, you’ll need to wait until it’s defrosted — but once it is, the most important part of folding the spanakopita triangles is keeping the phyllo dough moist. I do this by keeping my sheets of phyllo covered with a damp cloth AT ALL TIMES.
So, starting with one sheet, I lay it out on a flat surface, keeping the stack of phyllo I’m working with covered with the damp cloth. Then, using a pastry brush, I lightly brush the entire sheet of phyllo with butter. Don’t be tempted to overdo it with the butter as this can make the dough hard to work with.
After that, I repeat the process 4 more times. After the 4th sheet has been brushed with butter I cut the entire sheet into 5 strips lengthwise. At the bottom of each strip, I place 1 heaped tablespoon of the spinach and feta filling. From here there is no secret, I simply fold the strip up like a flag, working from the bottom up.
And that is it! If you can fold your laundry, you can make spanakopita. Once you try my easy method you will never buy these frozen from the store again. The difference in flavor is unbelievable.
What Can You Substitute The Feta or Spinach?
If you’re avoiding cheese altogether, you can substitute vegan cheese. The flavor might not be exactly the same, but it will still come out lovely and rich. If for some reason you can’t get your hands on feta cheese, you can use cotija which has a similar crumbly texture and salty bite.
If you aren’t a huge spinach fan you can use any dark leafy greens. From kale to collard greens, there are lots of things besides spinach.
Can You Make Your Own Phyllo Dough?
I used to think it was so time-consuming but I proved myself wrong! Check out my step-by-step recipe with the video here: Homemade Phyllo Dough Recipe (Filo Pastry).
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Spinach and Feta Spanakopita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 4 cups (10oz/284g) cooked spinach
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon,
- 1 1/2 cups (12oz/ 340g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) butter
- 1 egg
- 1 package of frozen phyllo dough , defrosted
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and green onions and cook 2-3 minutes, until tender and fragrant.
- Remove from the heat and add the spinach, salt, pepper, dill, lemon and feta. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before adding in the egg. Mix in the egg to the cooled mix then set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Melt the butter in a small bowl. On a large work surface, place one sheet of phyllo dough. Cover the remaining dough with a lightly damp paper towel.
- Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, then place another sheet on top of the first sheet and brush that sheet with butter. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers of phyllo.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut or sharp knife cut the dough into 5 equal pieces strips. (about 2.5-3 inches wide). Place 1 tablespoon of the spinach-feta filling at the bottom of each strip. Fold the corner of the dough over the filling, forming a triangle, then continue folding triangles (like you would fold a flag). Place spanakopita on the lined baking sheet and cover with another damp towel. Repeat this process until you have used all the phyllo dough and filling.
- Brush the triangles with more butter on top and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Just made your “Quick and Easy Spanakopita”!! Aptly titled they were fun to make and Delicious! Thank you Gemma!
Is it 10 ounces of uncooked spinach that is then cooked? Is there anyway to use frozen spinach? How much?
Thank you so very much. I look forward to making this. I’m going to be using vegan feta cheese.
I am not a fond of feta, could I do half feta and half ricotta cheese?
For a gluten free or keto approach I put my butter in the filling and add 2 eggs. Roll them into 1″ balls and bake on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Then you can freeze them and eat a few at a time as you like. Or add them to the center of muffin tins and add scrambled eggs around them…and bake. 🌞
I just put in a bread pudding in the oven thanks Jamma for your recipe