Spanakopita is a savory Greek dish made by layering thin sheets of buttery phyllo with a cheesy spinach filling. The resulting spinach pie is flaky and flavorful, perfect for potluck appetizers or casual snacking. The filling is a tasty combination of spinach, feta, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic, and lemon zest. Phyllo dough is pretty easy to find; most grocers stock this product in their freezer section. And thanks to the thin nature of each pastry sheet, phyllo thaws pretty quickly. Be sure to keep the thawed phyllo covered while you are assembling your Spanakopita, as the sheets can dry out and become crumbly when exposed to the open air for too long.
Spanakopita
Ingredients
- 2 (16 oz) packages frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 ½ cups feta
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- 2 large eggs
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, melted
- 18 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
Directions
1) Place 32 oz thawed spinach in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather the edges of the towel together. Over the sink, twist and squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Transfer the spinach to a large bowl. Add 1 ½ cups feta, ¼ cup cream cheese, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup scallions, 2 eggs, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp lemon zest, ½ tsp salt, and pinch of black pepper, stirring to combine.
2) Preheat both zones of your Suvie to bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.
3) Line two Suvie pans with aluminum foil and brush with melted butter. Cut the 18 phyllo sheets in half, forming 36 smaller rectangular sheets, about 6’’x10’’ in size. Layer 9 sheets in each pan, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next, to form the bottom layer.
4) Divide the spinach mixture between the two pans and spread out in an even layer.
5) Layer 9 more sheets of phyllo on top of the spinach mixture, repeating the same process as with the bottom layer (sheet, melted butter, then another phyllo sheet). Thoroughly coat the last sheet of phyllo with any remaining butter, and score with a knife to form 8 squares.
6) Once your Suvie has preheated, place the pans in the top and bottom zones, input settings, and cook now.
Suvie Cook Settings
Bottom Zone: Bake at 375°F for 55 minutes
Top Zone: Bake at 375°F for 55 minutes
7) Halfway through the cook, rotate the pans for evening browning. If you notice that the top of your spanakopita is getting a little too dark, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and continue baking.
8) After the cook, remove the pans from your Suvie, and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the spanakopita from the pan, using the aluminum foil as a sling, and transfer to a cutting board. Using the score marks as a guide, cut into individual pieces, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information per 2 pieces of spanakopita (8 servings per recipe): Calories 477, Total Fat 26g, Total Carbohydrates 47g, Total Sodium 858mg, Total Protein 17g.
