SPANAKOPITA
MAKES ROUGHLY 140-160 pieces
Timing: 2 Hours, excluding baking
3 tbsp olive oil
3 bunches Scallions, chopped
3 - 10oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and strained to remove all liquid
1 bunch of dill, chopped
1 tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
16 ounces regular cottage cheese, strained to remove all liquid
16 ounces feta cheese
3 large eggs
½ cup grated parmesan
3 packages #7 phyllo, thawed
1lb unsalted butter, melted
White sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Bring a large skillet to medium heat, add 3 tbsp of olive oil along with your chopped scallions. Sauté scallions for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and soft. Stir in spinach and dill and sauté for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until any water has evaporated. Add garlic powder, salt, and black pepper and stir until combined.
Pour mixture into a bowl. Bring mixture to room temperature, and then place in fridge until completely cooled, about 1 hour. Once mixture is cooled, remove from fridge and set aside.
In a separate bowl mix ricotta, cottage cheese, feta, and eggs until well combined.
Combine the cheese and egg mixture with the cooled spinach and scallion mixture. Add Parmesan and mix until incorporated.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 3 sheet trays (you will need to bake the spanakopita in batches).
Take the phyllo dough out of the package and cut roll evenly into thirds. Once cut unroll sheets onto a flat surface. Keep the phyllo covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel when you're not working with it.
Lay out one sheet of dough with the long end vertical. Brush the melted butter over the dough.
Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on one end of the dough strip. Fold one strip over 1/5 of the filling. Fold the dough over the strip and filling to make a triangle shape. Continue to fold the same way you'd fold a flag until you reach the end; this should be about 5 flag-shaped folds. Fold over any extra dough at the end and flip over. Brush the top with a little melted butter and place the triangle seam side-down on a buttered sheet pan.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.
Arrange the triangles 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet pans. Sprinkle tops with white sesame seeds.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
If you’d like to freeze your spanakopita, do so before baking. Brush the bottom of a freezer safe dish with butter. Place the triangles into the bottom of the dish until a full layer is formed. Brush the tops of each piece with melted butter, and place a piece of parchment on top. Repeat buttering the parchment, layering and buttering the tops of the spanakopita until your container is full. These store well in the freezer for up to three months.
Once ready to bake, remove from freezer and place on buttered sheet trays. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
For more information on how to fold your spanakopita check out my printable how-to sheet!
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