Spanikopita

Whenever I eat Greek food, I ask John if we can go to Greece, like tomorrow. Luckily, John’s pretty good at keeping me grounded while my mind and stomach fly around the world in search of exciting adventures. A few weeks ago, we were at mycousin’s wedding. It was filled with Italian specialties and other delicious options. One of our favorite appetizers was “spinach pie” which was basically a very thick spanikopita.It was so delicious that was one of the (many) highlights for John who was still talking about it when we got back from Europe. We have a great Greek place in Queens that we go to all the time: it’s close by, it’s fast, and it’s (most important) cheap! I always get a side of spanikopita to go; I knew it was high time I could make it myself.

There’s something awesome about trying to recreate your favorite recipe at home. It doesn’t always come out perfect or right the first time, but that just makes it all the sweeter when you actually succeed. That’s how it was with Spanikopita. It wasn’t hard, but I wanted to get the right ratio of spinach and dough. The flaky phyllo dough, the hearty spinach, and, every so often, delicious creamy feta cheese. It’s the perfect make ahead dish to pop in while watching the game or serving as a side.

Spanikopita (adapted from here)
Serves: 8 (9×9 inch pan)
16 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup dill, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup butter, melted
16 phyllo dough sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 baking sheet. Combine spinach, onion, dill, parsley, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and feta. Pour into the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.

Layer one sheet of phyllo dough on top of the spinach mixture. Brush lightly with butter and top with the next sheet. Continue until all sheets are used. Score the top layer of phyllo in 8 triangles. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cut the phyllo through using the score marks. Serve immediately or freeze individually and microwave when desired.

Until the next time my oven is on…