About the Recipe
Mom's spanakopita was the most requested meal in our home growing up. I can't count the number of times I remember sitting at the counter as a kid, watching her assemble each flaky layer. In the early years when she was first learning to make it, she would get stressed about peeling off each layer of phyllo, knowing that if she didn't work quickly enough, the phyllo would stick together and be difficult to work with. I can remember her announcing to the whole house before she would start, "I'm making spanakopita now! Don't turn on the A/C or the fan until after I'm done!" Over the years, she got faster and more confident about her phyllo-handling skills, and we looked forward to each time she made it. As my brother and I got older and left the house, it became a special dish she would make any time we came back home to visit. I can remember telling her about how whenever I made spanakopita for myself, it never managed to taste as good as when she made it. We always knew her secret ingredient was love. The meal has even more meaning for me now that she is no longer here to enjoy it, and sharing it with my family helps me to feel closer to her each time I make it. I hope this recipe helps you feel closer to Lisa, too.
- Leah
Ingredients
1- 16 oz box of frozen phyllo dough
2- 10 oz packages frozen spinach
2- 8 oz packages solid traditional feta cheese
6 eggs, well beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 stick of butter, melted
Preparation
Step 1
Thaw the phyllo dough (leave in box) in the fridge for 2-3 days. Put out on the counter several hours before you are ready to prepare the spanakopita, in order for it to reach room temperature.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put thawed spinach in a thin kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. (Spinach should be pretty dry.) Put spinach in a large mixing bowl and add the feta cheese (drained of brine), eggs and salt. Use a fork to break up the feta and mix all ingredients together. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat oil and butter in a small pot. Unwrap one package of phyllo and smooth out creases carefully. (Each box comes with two individually wrapped packages inside. You'll use one package for the bottom layers, and the second package for the top.) Turn off any fans to minimize moving air over the phyllo, it dries out quickly. You can also keep a damp towel draped over the phyllo in between adding layers.
Step 4
Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides of a large cookie sheet with the oil/butter mixture. One sheet of phyllo dough covers half the cookie sheet, so you'll want to lay two sheets side by side to make one continuous layer. Brush this layer with the oil/butter mixture. Continue layering the phyllo until the first package is gone, brushing oil/butter generously in between each layer. Spoon the spinach mixture onto the phyllo and spread evenly. Leave about 2-3 inches of border between the spinach and the edges of the pan. There should be enough phyllo around the edges to be folded under to seal in filling at the end.
Step 5
Open the second package of phyllo dough and continue layering, brushing each layer with the oil/butter mixture. Roll and tuck the edges of the phyllo all the way around to seal in the filling. Pour any excess oil/butter onto the top.
Step 6
Bake for 50 minutes. Serve hot.
Lisa's note: I serve with fresh fruit and green salad.