Spanakopita
Next time you’re craving real Greek flavor, you need to make homemade Spanakopita! A cheesy, herbaceous spinach mixture is sandwiched between layers of flaky phyllo dough and baked until nice and hot in the oven. This Greek comfort food can warm you up on the coldest of nights, but is also a great summer dish!
Spanakopita
If you’ve ever had frozen Spanakopita, you’ve been missing out on the real deal. Do I hate frozen entrees? Not at all! There have been plenty of nights when a frozen meal has hit the spot.
However, there’s something about frozen Spanakopita from the grocery store that really pales in comparison to this homemade recipe. They just never seem as flavorful, decadent, or flaky!
Plus, why buy a frozen Spanakopita when you can make a homemade one with such little prep? Essentially, all you need to do is whip up the cheesy spinach filling and layer it between sheets of phyllo dough. Pop it in the oven and voila! You have an authentic, comforting, and nutritious entree ready to go in no time. Who knows, even your little picky eater may be convinced to try to a bite of this vibrant green dish!
The cheesy spinach filling is usually just recognized for being those two things – cheesy and spinach based. However, there’s a little bundle of not-so-secret ingredients that really make that filling so flavorful and memorable, and that’s the fresh herbs!
Fresh parsley and mint add a certain boldness to the spinach without totally overpowering it. It’s a delicious balancing act that always turns out pretty perfect.
How to Make It
Cook the spinach. In a large skillet, heat the 3 TBSP oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the scallions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Add in the spinach, parsley, and mint, continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes until the spinach is softened. You can add the spinach in parts if the pan isn’t big enough to do it all at once. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9×9 baking dish and set aside.
Make the cheese mixture. In a large bowl mix together the feta, ricotta, eggs, black pepper and salt until combined then stir in the cooled spinach mixture. Set aside.
Create the phyllo base. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough into the oiled baking dish and brush lightly with olive oil to coat the dough, extra dough may hang over the side of the pan. Repeat this process, alternating the phyllo hanging over the sides then top/bottom, until you have a total of 6 layers of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan.
Layer the spinach and cheese. Spread the spinach and cheese mixture into the pan and fold any of the overhanging dough over the filling and brush the phyllo with oil.
Add the phyllo on top. Layer an additional 6 sheets of dough on top of the filling brushing each layer with oil and folding over each side on to the top. Brush the top with more oil.
Bake and serve. Bake at 350°F for 30 – 40 minutes our until golden brown. Serve while hot and enjoy!
If you want to elevate this recipe even more, try using this homemade ricotta cheese!
Tips for the Phyllo Dough:
First time working with phyllo? No worries!
- Phyllo sheets are very very thin, even thinner than a tissue! Keeping a damp paper towel over them will help them from drying out as you build this dish.
- If your phyllo sheet tears, it’s okay! You can still use it to layer and make this dish. Just use the pieces as single layers, making sure to oil each layer as you build it.
Storing Spanakopita
Here’s the deal – Spanakopita is best served fresh, as it tends to get a little soggy in the fridge. However, you can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2-3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it, pop it back in the oven until warmed through, NOT the microwave!
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Get the Recipe: Spanakopita
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
- 1 tsp garlic, chopped
- 14 cups spinach, cleaned and chopped, 16oz package
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 2 TBL mint, chopped
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
- About ¼ cup olive oil for brushing
Equipment
- baking dish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the 3 TBSP oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Then add scallion and garlic, cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add in the spinach, parsley and mint, continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes until the spinach is softened. You can add the spinach in parts if the pan isn’t big enough to do it all at once. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9×9 baking dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together the feta, ricotta, eggs, black pepper and salt until combined then stir in the cooled spinach mixture. Set aside.
- Lay one sheet of phyllo dough into the oiled baking dish and brush lightly with olive oil to coat the dough, extra dough may hang over the side of the pan. Repeat this process, alternating the phyllo hanging over the sides then top/bottom, until you have a total of 6 layers of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan.
- If your phyllo sheet tears, it’s okay! You can still use it to layer and make this dish, just use the pieces as single layers, making sure to oil each layer as you build it.
- Spread the spinach and cheese mixture into the pan and fold any of the overhanging dough over the filling and brush the phyllo with oil.
- Layer an additional 6 sheets of dough on top of the filling brushing each layer with oil and folding over each side on to the top. Brush the top with more oil.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes our until golden brown
- Serve while hot and Enjoy!