-
Makes
one 9x13 inch pan or about 12 servings
Author Notes
Bulgarian banitsa with winter squash and spinach. Have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! —inpatskitchen
Ingredients
- For the filling
-
3 tablespoons
butter
-
1
medium leek, white and light green parts only, sliced lengthwise into fourths and then cut crosswise about 1/4 inch
-
2
medium cloves garlic, minced
-
4 cups
grated butternut squash
-
1 tablespoon
dried dillweed
-
1 teaspoon
salt
-
1 teaspoon
black pepper
-
10
ounce bag of baby spinach, wilted, squeezed as dry as possible and then chopped
-
2 cups
large curd, full fat cottage cheese, drained in a colander
-
1 cup
crumbled feta cheese
-
Additional salt and pepper if needed
-
2
lightly beaten eggs
- Make the Pie
-
28
sheets filo dough from a one pound package
-
8 tablespoons
(one stick) butter, melted
-
The previously made filling
Directions
- For the filling
-
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add the leek and garlic. Saute until fragrant and then stir in the squash, salt, pepper and dillweed. Cook over medium heat for just a few minutes until the squash begins to soften a bit. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
-
Once cooled, stir in the cottage cheese, feta and chopped spinach. Give the mixture a taste and add additional salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs.
- Make the Pie
-
Pre heat your oven to 375F. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking or roasting pan with some of the melted butter.
-
Drape 4 sheets of filo in the bottom of the pan, 2 sheets lengthwise, 2 sheets crosswise, folding the dough to fit neatly. Dab with melted butter and then repeat with 4 more sheets of filo.
-
Spread 1/2 of the filling over the buttered filo sheets and then repeat with 8 more sheets of filo. Dab with more butter. Spread the remaining filling over and then place 8 more sheets of filo over, dabbing with butter after each 4 sheets.
-
Now place the last 4 sheets of filo over the top, laying them in as smoothly as possible. Brush with the remaining butter and tuck in the edges with the tip of your pastry brush. Use a sharp knife and cut through the top layers of filo into 12 equal pieces.
-
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes and let stand a bit before cutting and serving.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
See what other Food52ers are saying.