What kind of person claiming any kind of Greek heritage promotes a casserole recipe swiped from a Greek tradition?
I have two reasons for daring the indignation of my relatives, and they are very simple.
- Working with phyllo dough is infuriating
- I married into the family, so I must not have the Greek patience or touch for wanting to get over that
Call that last one more of an excuse than a reason if you prefer, but I think this casserole is delicious. I have spent enough time in the kitchen fiddling with iced cookies and gourmet cheesecake to know that I could push through and make the perfect phyllo dough spanakopita triangles if I wanted. Like for a party. But for our daily meals, I have more important things to do. Like cuddling the baby.
Besides, when I asked my “thea” (who lives in a hill village in Greece) to teach me how to make spanakopita, guess what? She made it into a casserole too.
Something that I appreciate about this recipe: It is flexible. While using the full amount of butter and feta cheese enhances the flavor (like any good ol’ fat with do), if you’re afraid of the calories or (like me) afraid of the cost, you can cut both amounts. We’ve successfully used up to half the feta called for, and have cut the butter down by a third (give or take).
Also, while many people traditionally only use spinach in this dish, my thea used a variety of greens. Mostly spinach, but also a bunch of green leafies pulled from her garden. Using similar additions from my garden makes this dish more frugal than relying on the entire filling coming out of the grocery store – and consequently, out of my pocket.
As far as health is concerned, the phyllo dough adds a certain amount of white flour to this dish. But other than that we’re talking about lots of green vegetables and some healthy fats. Which makes it worth it in my book. Besides, while phyllo dough is somewhat infuriating, it is also delicious.
Spanakopita Casserole
Makes one 9X13-inch pan
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 – 2 large onions (to taste), chopped
- 2 packages frozen spinach, thawed (or a combination of other greens and spinach equaling 2 packages of spinach)
- 4 tablespoons fresh dill (or 4 teaspoons dried)
- 1 – 2 4-ounce packages feta cheese
- 4 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 package phyllo dough
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups butter, melted
- (if using less butter and/or feta, add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt)
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large pan, sauté onion in olive oil until soft
- Add spinach and dill and heat through until spinach is wilted
- Remove pan from heat
- Stir eggs and feta cheese into the spinach mixture
- Brush the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with some of the melted butter
- Spread a sheet of phyllo dough on the bottom of the pan
- Layer the spinach mixture and phyllo dough alternately for several layers, using the last piece of phyllo dough for the top
- Evenly pour the rest of the butter over the top of the casserole
- Bake casserole at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown
COST:
- Olive oil = $.40 – $.80
- Onion = $.10 – $.40
- Spinach = $1.20
- Feta cheese = $2.50 – $5.00
- Eggs = $.40
- Phyllo dough = $1.25
- Butter = $1.25 – $2.00
Total = $7.50 – $11.05
Since this recipe makes two meal’s worth of spanakopita for my family, it actually costs between $3.75 – $5.50 per meal. The butter and feta cheese definitely make this more of a special occasion meal, rather than an everyday dish. However, since I’m the only one who really likes spinach in my family, keeping it for special occasions keeps everyone happier anyway.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever put your own spin on a family dish?
Cheers,
P.S. For more meal inspiration, visit Tasty Tuesday, These Chicks Cooked, and Tastetastic Thursday!
14 comments
Athena
10/05/2011 at 8:29 AM (UTC -6)
OH THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE!! I remember you mentioned it in a meal plan before and I was hoping you’d share the recipe.
I can’t wait to try this!
Steph
10/08/2011 at 9:08 AM (UTC -6)
Athena – Yay, glad you liked it!!!
Erin
10/05/2011 at 6:47 PM (UTC -6)
I’m glad you shared this recipe too! I love Spanakopita and having made it a couple of times I too understand the frustration it brings and patience it takes to work with phyllo dough. I’ve also substituted in other greens but by far the one I got the most comments on was when I used a combination of collard greens and spinach, and I’ve also added 4 oz. of Neufchatel cheese before when I didn’t have all the feta I wanted and it was still a hit!
Also I know it can get pricey, but whole wheat phyllo dough does exist.
I know my local Whole Foods carries it. The brand name is The Fillo Factory, but I’ve only ever gotten it on special or as a splurge.
Steph
10/08/2011 at 9:07 AM (UTC -6)
Erin – Oooh, good tips! Thanks!
Anne @ Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy
10/06/2011 at 5:53 AM (UTC -6)
I’ve never done anything with phyllo dough, so I’m impressed by this:) I’ve never even had regular spanakopita, let alone a casserole. It looks delicious!
We have a family recipe for biscuits – I guess it’s pretty much like anybody else’s biscuits, but we call them “grandma’s biscuits” nonetheless. I like to add pumpkin to them in the fall.
Steph
10/08/2011 at 9:06 AM (UTC -6)
Anne – Good idea on the pumpkin! That wouldn’t have ocurred to me. Are you featuring it in your pumpkin series this month?
Michele
10/06/2011 at 5:53 AM (UTC -6)
Oh my Gosh! I think I’m in love. I Love Spanakopita but never make it. I’m excited to try this.
Steph
10/08/2011 at 9:05 AM (UTC -6)
Michele – I really really like this dish…. it’s almost comfort food for me!
Mary
10/06/2011 at 7:54 AM (UTC -6)
Steph, this is a beautiful dish! I so wish I loved feta. This is an awesome adaptation too. I love converting more complicated recipes into simpler meals that can be easily made in less time.
Steph
10/08/2011 at 9:03 AM (UTC -6)
Mary – Thanks! My husband doesn’t like feta, but he enjoys this dish. Erin also mentioned using some Neufchatel cheese in place of part of the feta and she said it was still a hit! (Just in case you want to give it a shot!)
Amy @ A Little Nosh
10/08/2011 at 2:21 PM (UTC -6)
My mouth is watering! Thanks for linking up at A Little Nosh this week!
Becky
10/09/2011 at 9:01 PM (UTC -6)
You mention that this makes two pans for your family. Are you able to freeze this for later use?
Steph
10/10/2011 at 6:15 AM (UTC -6)
Becky – Hmm, great question! Unfortunately, I’ve never tried freezing it, and I’m not sure how well it would do so.
Erin
10/18/2011 at 10:38 AM (UTC -6)
Hey Steph, I was just realizing I wasn’t sure what packages of spinach you were writing about. Could you give me like a number in ounces when you get the chance because I sometimes use the bricks and other times use that bags. I meant to ask earlier but got so excited about the recipe I forgot to mention it.
And when you asked about putting my own spin on a family favorite recipe I’ve had to do a lot of this since Nathan and I don’t eat much meat and a lot of the family favorite recipes include meat, however the best spin by far was when we took my grandma’s recipe for pizza casserole and substituted in zucchini and spinach for the hamburger. It was such a big hit we made sure to write out a new recipe!