foodie wednesday: spanakopita (a.k.a. spinach pie)

a few weeks ago, i had a girls' dinner with my old boss and former co-worker.  my boss, barb, made a delicious spanakopita (spinach pie) for dinner filled with veggies, yummy feta cheese and wrapped up in a buttery, flaky phyllo crust.

this past monday was "2 months until i do" so i wanted to make something a little different and a little special for our dinner.  knowing craig would love it, i asked barb for her spanakopita recipe.  i made it, and it was delicious!  so, obviously, my next thought was to share the recipe with all of you : )

here's what you'll need:

1/2 package (approx. 20 sheets) of phyllo dough
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
16 oz bag of frozen spinach
3 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
6 oz feta, crumbled
2 tbsp butter, melted
olive oil
salt & pepper
8 to 9 in pie plate

1. preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you prep the filling.

2. saute onions & mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil.  cook until lightly browned and softened.

3. while veggies cook, defrost spinach in microwave and drain/press out excess water.

4. mix veggies, spinach, feta and cottage cheese together.  in a separate bowl, lightly scramble the eggs and then add them to the filling.  mix well and season with salt & pepper.

5. take a teaspoon of the melted butter and coat pie plate with it.  then layer in 2-3 sheets of phyllo, drizzle with butter (or brush with butter) and then layer on another 2-3 sheets.  continue until you have 10-12 sheets on the bottom.  tip: since the sheets are square, every time you're done with a layer, give the pie plate a 1/4 turn so that it creates an even crust.

6. spoon filling over the phyllo crust and then cover with 2-3 sheets, drizzle/brush with butter, and continue until you use the remainder of the butter and phyllo.  (again, turn the plate as you proceed to create an even covering.)

7. pierce top to allow steam to escape and then bake for approximately 45 min or until top is golden brown and crispy.

8. allow to cool for at least 10 min before serving.

we enjoyed ours with a simple side salad.  and there were plenty of leftovers - enough for dinner again the next night...and a bit left for lunch after that!

enjoy!