If you love Greek food as much as David and I do, you will love this Skillet Spinach Pie. This recipe is inspired by the Greek pastry called Spanakopita.
Spanakopita or spinach pie is a popular Greek pastry in which a cheesy spinach filling wrapped or layered in phyllo dough.
If you are not familiar with phyllo dough, basically it is a dough that is as thin as tissue paper. This pastry dough can be found in the frozen food section of your grocery store. You’ll find it next to the pie crust and puff pastry dough.
This recipe for spinach skillet pie is made of a filling of chopped spinach, sauteed buttery onions, creamy homemade ricotta cheese, eggs, tangy feta cheese, seasoned with fresh dill. The spinach filling is topped with buttery thin phyllo, then baked in the oven until flaky and golden brown.
This Spinach Skillet Pie is an easy to make one-skillet meal without a lot of clean up. That makes this dish perfect for a weeknight. At 327 calories per serving, this skillet spinach pie is a healthy Greek dish. Serve it as a vegetarian main course for Meatless Monday or a side dish to any meat.
Here, let me show you how I made it…
How To Make Skillet Spinach Pie
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
Remove 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and transfer it to a small bowl; set aside.
Add the chopped onion to the skillet of remaining melted butter. Saute the onions, stirring often, until softened; 7 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the onions to cool slightly.
Stir the dill into the onions. Add the ricotta cheese, and eggs to the onion mixture in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Next, stir in the feta cheese and spinach. Mix well.
Use a spatula to smooth the filling out into a nice even layer into the bottom of the pan.
Carefully lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the dough with the reserved melted butter.
Phyllo is paper-thin and breaks very easily when you are working with it. For best results, place any unused phyllo sheets in between two slightly damp kitchen towels before working with the sheets.
Don’t skimp on the butter. If you don’t have enough, melt some more!
Lay the butter coated phyllo dough over the spinach filling, folding the edges under to fit inside the skillet. Repeat for each sheet of phyllo dough. Rotate and scrunch each sheet slightly, so the edges are tucked covering all of the spinach filling.
Use an extra piece if needed, but 4 sheets should be enough to cover everything.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is golden brown and heated through.
Slice and serve warm.
Make-Ahead:
You can make this skillet spinach pie ahead by only preparing the spinach filling (Steps 1-5), then cover and refrigerate. When you are ready, pour the filling into an oven-safe pan or casserole dish, then following Steps 6-8 to finish the recipe.
Leftover Storage & Freezing:
Cooked skillet spinach pie keeps well if properly covered and stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, warm a 350 degree F oven until warmed through.
Any leftover pie can be frozen for a later time. To heat, warm the frozen pie in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through. Do not thaw in advance.
I am doubtful you will have any of this delicious Greek dish leftover. However, I thought it would be helpful to include the information.
I hope you enjoy this amazing dish.
OPA!
Skillet Spinach Pie
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ stick
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 20- ounces frozen spinach chopped, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup ricotta cheese Whole-Milk (Homemade is best!)
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 sheets frozen phyllo dough thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and transfer it to a small bowl; set aside.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet of remaining melted butter. Saute the onions, stirring often, until softened; 7 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the onions to cool slightly.
- Stir the dill into the onions. Add the ricotta cheese, and eggs to the onion mixture in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Next, stir in the feta cheese and spinach. Mix well. Use a spatula to smooth the filling out into a nice even layer into the bottom of the pan.
- Carefully lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface. Cover remaining phyllo while you work to ensure it does not dry out. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the dough with the reserved melted butter.Lay the butter coated phyllo dough over the spinach filling, folding the edges under to fit inside the skillet. Repeat for each sheet of phyllo dough. Rotate and scrunch each sheet slightly, so the edges are tucked covering all of the spinach filling.Use an extra piece if needed, but 4 sheets should be enough to cover everything.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is golden brown and heat through.
- Slice and serve warm.
Notes
- Phyllo is paper-thin and breaks very easily when you are working with it. For best results, place any unused phyllo sheets in between two slightly damp kitchen towels before working with the sheets.
- Don’t skimp on the butter. If you don’t have enough, melt some more!
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