Spanakopita is a great make-ahead for a party or special dinner. You can freeze them for several weeks, heating them up from frozen, when you are wanting to serve them. I like making them small enough for appetizers. There is just no comparison to the store-bought variety. The flavor combination of lemon, fresh dill, feta, spinach, combined with the crunchy phyllo pastry is just so good! I like to make this for our annual Christmas Open House.
You need melted butter for this recipe. The butter is what makes the phyllo pastry so flaky.
You can buy phyllo pastry in the grocery store, in the frozen section. You can thaw it in your fridge for 24 hours or on the counter for a few hours. You will want to cut strips of phyllo.
It's important to not let your phyllo pastry dry out, so cover with a damp cloth.
Brush melted butter on the strip and cover with another strip of phyllo. Repeat butter.
Place filling at the end of the phyllo pastry (approximately 1/4 cup).
Fold across to make a triangle.
Repeat this pattern until you get to the end of the phyllo.
Voila! That wasn't too bad, right?
Before you know it, you have spanakopita for your party. This can be frozen or baked right away in an oven heated to 400 degrees f.
Delish!
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, rinsed, with water still clinging to leaves OR 2 packages of frozen spinach (300g each)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or 4 tsp. dry)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tb. melted butter (may need more)
14-16 sheets phyllo dough
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Method
1. Wilt spinach in a large stockpot over medium heat. Do not overcook. Drain and cool. Using your hands, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible. For frozen spinach, simply thaw, and drain well (you need to try to get all of the excess liquid out; squeeze as necessary).
2. Place spinach in a large bowl; stir in egg, lemon juice, dill, feta, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface. Using a pastry brush, dab all over with melted butter; lay a second sheet on top. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. (This is the size for regular size spanakopitas, for an entree). For appetizer size, you will want to cut the phyllo dough into four long strips (you still use two strips, with butter).
4. For appetizer size: brush butter on top layer of phyllo. Place 1/4 cup (approximately) of spinach mixture on phyllo.
5. Fold the dough flag style, to form triangle-shaped packets: Fold the bottom right corner to the left edge of the dough to form a triangle. Fold triangle along left edge of dough, then fold lower-left corner to the right edge of dough to packet. The filling should be totally enclosed in the dough. Brush with butter.
6. Place spanakopita in container and freeze.
7. Bake in 400 degree F. oven for 17-19 minutes, or until brown.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, rinsed, with water still clinging to leaves OR 2 packages of frozen spinach (300g each)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or 4 tsp. dry)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tb. melted butter (may need more)
14-16 sheets phyllo dough
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Method
1. Wilt spinach in a large stockpot over medium heat. Do not overcook. Drain and cool. Using your hands, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible. For frozen spinach, simply thaw, and drain well (you need to try to get all of the excess liquid out; squeeze as necessary).
2. Place spinach in a large bowl; stir in egg, lemon juice, dill, feta, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface. Using a pastry brush, dab all over with melted butter; lay a second sheet on top. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. (This is the size for regular size spanakopitas, for an entree). For appetizer size, you will want to cut the phyllo dough into four long strips (you still use two strips, with butter).
4. For appetizer size: brush butter on top layer of phyllo. Place 1/4 cup (approximately) of spinach mixture on phyllo.
5. Fold the dough flag style, to form triangle-shaped packets: Fold the bottom right corner to the left edge of the dough to form a triangle. Fold triangle along left edge of dough, then fold lower-left corner to the right edge of dough to packet. The filling should be totally enclosed in the dough. Brush with butter.
6. Place spanakopita in container and freeze.
7. Bake in 400 degree F. oven for 17-19 minutes, or until brown.
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