Cheese Phyllo Pie Recipes

BEEF & CHEESE PHYLLO PIES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan at medium heat.
• Add onion and ground beef, cook on until onion is softened and the beef is browned.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 10 to 15 mins until sauce thickens.
• Stir in oregano, season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with butter, top with a second buttered sheet and place a third sheet on top. Cut in half. Repeat with remaining phyllo to make four pies, of three layers each.
• Add 1/4 Cup cheese and about 3/4 Cup of beef mixture on the centre of each phyllo section, top with cheese.
• Fold/roll edges over, to enclose, and brush tops with butter.
• Place on a baking tray.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Devour.

SPINACH AND THREE CHEESE PHYLLO PIE

Steps:

• For the spinach and cheese mixture: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
• In a large dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts. Remove and reserve. In the same skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Cook until tender and any excess water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a large bowl, mix the eggs, feta, ricotta, Parmesan, pine nuts, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Add the reserved spinach mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to the baking dish, pressing to make sure it is even.
• For the phyllo dough crust: Layer sheets of phyllo onto the spinach mixture, brushing each sheet with melted butter before adding the next. Fold the edges to make a crust and brush with butter. Sprinkle with za'atar or sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes.

GREEK CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Mix feta cheese and eggs together in a bowl for the filling; set aside.
• Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface and brush liberally with olive oil. Top with another sheet and brush with oil. Repeat for a total of 4 sheets, but do not brush the top of the fourth sheet. Transfer the stack of oiled sheets to one of the greased cake pans. Drape over the bottom of the pan, trying not to be too perfect about it; you want some folds and wrinkles in the phyllo.
• Spread 1/2 of the filling over the phyllo in an even layer. Fold the overhanging phyllo over the filling, again letting natural folds and wrinkles occur. Loosely lay 1 sheet of phyllo over the top, brush with oil, and use the oiled brush to pat down the sides all around the circumference of the cake pan.
• Repeat with remaining phyllo, oil, and filling to assemble the second pie.
• Bake the cheese pies in the preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHEESE PHYLLO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 C).
• Lightly brush a 10 or 11 inch round baking dish with the butter.
• Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.
• Add the flour and stir until bubbly (2 to 3 minutes).
• Stir in the milk and simmer, stirring, until thickened.
• Add the Muenster cheese, yogurt, eggs, salt and pepper and stir over very low heat until smooth.
• Line the prepared dish with a sheet of phyllo, folding excess over top.
• Brush with butter.
• Repeat with the second phyllo sheet.
• Spread with about 3/4 cup cheese mixture.
• Top 2 additional phyllo sheets, brushing with butter.
• Repeat layering with remaining cheese mixture and phyllo, ending with phyllo sheets.
• Place in the refrigerator for several minutes to firm, then cut into squares (The pie may be prepared ahead to this point and frozen).
• Bake until golden brown (about 40 minutes).
• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

TRADITIONAL GREEK TIROPETES (CHEESE PHYLLO PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine crumbled feta and ricotta cheeses.
• Add eggs and beat thouroughly, then parsley and mix well.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in a 9x9 in baking dish and brush lightly with melted butter.
• Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with butter, and repeat with four more sheets of phyllo.
• Spread cheese mixture into pan and place another 6 sheets of phyllo in the same process as before.
• Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Serve while hot.

PHYLLO CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Filling: In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients. Whisk until ingredients are completely integrated. Heat oven to 390°F (200°C).
• Assembly: Grease a baking pan. Layer one phyllo sheet on the bottom of the pan. Brush a thin layer of (butter and oil) coating over the sheet. Add another sheet of phyllo on top of the first one and repeat the coating.
• Grab a generous amount of filling (about 4 tablespoons), and spread evenly over the top sheet. Layer two sheets on top of the filling, coating each before adding the next layer (just like in step two). (If phyllo is larger than the pan, you can fold, crumple or cut it until it fits.) Top with the filling again and spread it evenly. Repeat phyllo, coating and filling layers until you run out ingredients. Make sure the last, top, pie layer has at least 2-3 sheets of phyllo. Brush it with coating last time and put the pan in the oven.
• Bake 15 min. Rotate the pan and continue baking another 15-20 minutes. Monitor the pie so it doesn't blush too much (or burn). If it blushes too much lower the temperature to 360°F (180°C) or cover with foil.
• Topping: In a small pan combine milk and butter. Warm up the milk just until the butter melts. Take the cheese pie out of the oven. Using a teaspoon distribute the topping evenly over the pie. Turn the oven off and return the pie inside for a few minutes.
• Serve 20-30 minutes (an hour is even better!) after baking. Store in a cool place (outside) for up to a day. Transfer to the fridge for up to 2-3 days. (Cover in plastic wrap.) Use your favorite reheating method, or eat cold. Do not freeze.

STINGING NETTLE PHYLLO PASTRY PIE

Steps:

• 1. Pick the leaves off the stinging nettle and discard the stems. Wear some thick gloves to do this.
• 2. Add 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt to a pot of boiling water to preserve the green colour of nettle. Boil the stinging nettle leaves for 5 minutes, then strain, cool, then squeeze the water out as MUCH as possible.
• 3. Chop up the stinging nettle leaves into small pieces so they will mix well with other ingredients and be easy to eat.
• 4. Steam the package of baby spinach leaves and strain, cool, and SQUEEZE as much liquid out of them as possible.
• 5. Finely mince the leeks, then sautee them until slightly browned.
• 6. Roughly chop the dill and parsley.
• 7. Mix wet ingredients into one bowl: Macedonian feta, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and eggs.
• 8. Mix greens together: Sauteed leeks, parsley, dill, spinach, and nettles.
• 9. Mix the green ingredients and the cheese / wet ingredients together thoroughly until smooth. Add some pepper to taste, but you don't need salt due to the saltiness of the feta.
• 10. Lay two pieces of phyllo together on a baking tray, then lightly brush the top with sunflower oil.
• 11. Lay another 2 pieces of phyllo together at a time, and lightly brush with phyllo pastry until you have 6-7 pieces.
• 12. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 13. Layer evenly all the filling on top of bottom layers of phyllo pastry that have been brushed with oil.
• 13. Continue laying 2 pieces of phyllo at a time and brushing them will oil, until you have an equal number of phyllo pieces on top as in the bottom of the pastry.
• 14. Use a fork or small knife and poke some holes on the top in order to release the steam while the pastry is baking.
• 15. Place the pastry in oven, uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 F and bake until lightly browned.
• 16. Remove and let cool. Add pepper to taste. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
• 17. Enjoy!
• 18. Please note, the Greek phyllo is thinner so you need 2 slices together to prevent ripping. If it's a medium thick one, such as a homestyle Balkan phyllo then maybe one phyllo slice is enough at a time with oil brushed on top.