Make Ahead

Spanikopita Hand Pies

March 12, 2010
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves 15
Author Notes

The traditional Greek Spiniach Pie, in a more manageable form. Easy to make, easy to share, easy to eat! —Stefano Coppola

Test Kitchen Notes

An easy to prepare and delicious take on a traditional Greek dish. These spanakopita are the perfect size for a light lunch on-the-go, an afternoon snack or hearty party fare. They freeze well, which provides a nice make-ahead option for the busy host or hostess. The addition of chopped herbs after the spinach has cooked and cooled results in delightfully fresh and lively bites of oregano, basil and parsley in the crispy baked pies. One quick tip -- do not melt all of your butter at once -- one half cup was all I needed for the entire batch. - Jennifer Ann —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 24 sheets phyllo dough
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, melted
  • 12 ounces (usually 2 bunches) fresh spinach
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • Splash white wine
  • 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 sprigs each oregano, basil, parsely- chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • to taste salt & pepper
Directions
  1. Saute garlic and spinach in olive oil, add wine to steam spinach. Cool. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach and put in a mixing bowl. Mix in herbs, cheeses, lemon juice, egg, and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Line baking sheet with parchment papper. Gently unfold the phyllo dough. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a large cutting board and gently brush with the melted butter. Place a second phyllo sheet on top of the first and brush with butter. Repeat 2 more times until you have a stack of 4 phyllo sheets with butter brushed between the layers.
  4. Cut the phyllo sheets lengthwise into 3 strips. Place 2 tablespoons of the spinach filling 1 inch from the bottom end of each strip. Fold the right corner over the spinach filling to the left to make a triangle. Gently pull up the bottom left corner and fold up to make a second triangle. Continue folding until you reach the top. Brush the last fold with butter to seal.
  5. Continue until all phyllo is used. Place triangles on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake about 15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Cool slightly before serving.
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  • kate-monster
    kate-monster
  • lastnightsdinner
    lastnightsdinner
  • NakedBeet
    NakedBeet

6 Reviews

kate-monster December 7, 2011
Made these tonight and they are awesome and super easy to put together! I used only 3 sheets of phyllo and probably only a tbsp. of butter very sparingly in between the layers. So light, tasty and they look gorgeous. Thanks for such a great recipe of something I never thought would be possible to make at home!
 
kate-monster December 7, 2011
Made these tonight and they are awesome and super easy to put together! I used only 3 sheets of phyllo and probably only a tbsp. of butter very sparingly in between the layers. So light, tasty and they look gorgeous. Thanks for such a great recipe of something I never thought would be possible to make at home!
 
kate-monster December 7, 2011
Made these tonight and they are awesome and super easy to put together! I used only 3 sheets of phyllo and probably only a tbsp. of butter very sparingly in between the layers. So light, tasty and they look gorgeous. Thanks for such a great recipe of something I never thought would be possible to make at home!
 
kate-monster December 7, 2011
Made these tonight and they are awesome and super easy to put together! I used only 3 sheets of phyllo and probably only a tbsp. of butter very sparingly in between the layers. So light, tasty and they look gorgeous. Thanks for such a great recipe of something I never thought would be possible to make at home!
 
lastnightsdinner March 13, 2010
These look wonderful! I love how plump they are.
 
NakedBeet March 12, 2010
I love spinach dearly, but I'm not a fan on the phyllo overkill. I love how thin yours look and anything that cute and small, sign me up.