Cheese Phyllo Pie Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• FIRST - Let me explain the Feta. We have an Italian Market that sells fresh fruits and veggies etc. and they have a fresh cheese section. I always buy a block of French Feta Cheese. I use half for this recipe and the rest for omelets etc. You can use the prepacked Feta but if you want the full experience you'll need a lot. Also, you may use other variety of Feta (there's Hungarian, Bulgarian even a salt free one) The French is very salty which is why I add cottage cheese. It kind of balances out the saltiness abit. YOU JUST NEED 1 PACKAGE OF PHYLLO. Mine says 32 oz, buy the long box not the country (it's too thick).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In large mixing bowl beat eggs, add 2 cups milk and mix well. Take your block of Feta and cut in half. Use one 1/2 and refrigerate the other. Crumble the Feta into the egg mix and add cottage cheese. Make sure you have nice chunks. Mix well, the mixture should be thick and very lumpy. If too thick add more milk (hence the extra milk).
• Take a large deep baking dish. Sprinkle oil on bottom only (dip your spoon into oil, take out and just drizzle slightly). Lay one sheet phyllo and drizzle with oil, continue until you have 4 sheets. When you add the last sheet place your hand flat on the phyllo sheets and GENTLY gather, without tearing by pulling the sides slightly toward center. (It should resemble a crumpled bed) :).
• Use 1 full Ladle of the egg/feta mixture onto the layer, you don't need to cover all the phyllo (TRUST ME) just don't leave the feta in one spot distribute.
• Layer another phyllo sheet and sprinkle with oil. Layer another sheet of phyllo and again crumple the center then sprinkle the oil (just a little). One Ladle of the egg/feta mix. Continue in this pattern (Don't forget to gather the center each time). If you see that you have alot of the egg/feta mix left you can start to add more than the 1 ladle. Your last layer should be 3-4 layers of phyllo. Don't sprinkle with oil yet. Take a soup spoon and with the handle, tuck in the sides. Now sprinkle with oil.
• Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is puffed and nicely browned.
• Your kitchen with smell wonderful. The Burek will puff high off the top of the pan but once cooled will drop. You must cool completely or you will nto be able to cut with out it falling apart.
• It's moist and a bit salty and goes great with a nice cold beer! You can serve as main meal with salad or as appetizer (cut into small squares).

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.

Steps:

• Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
• Combine feta, cottage cheese, salt and eggs. Mix well.
• Take half of the phyllo sheets from package and cover the rest. Center 1 sheet in baking dish and brush quickly with melted butter. Repeat with remaining half of sheets. The sheets will extend over the sides of the dish.
• Spoon in the cheese mixture and spread evenly of sheets. Fold the overhanging sides and ends over the filling.
• Top with remaining sheets, as above, brushing each with butter. Tuck sides and ends inside dish to seal in the filling.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F
• With a sharp knife, score top of pie into 4 strips lengthwise and then crosswise.
• Bake until crisp and golden, about 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Cut through scored lines and serve.

Steps:

• WASH HANDS (This recipe requires you to work with the food directly with your hands).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Wash and drain spinach.
• Chop spinach and put in a big glass bowl.
• Add salt and mix with hands.
• Leave the spinach to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw out the water from the vegetable.
• The water in spinach will make the filling bitter so do not skip this step.
• Drain the spinach by either sqeezing it bit by bit with your hand over the sink or by spinning several times in a salad spinner.
• Transfer drained spinach into a new bowl.
• Add egg, and sour cream.
• Fold in feta and cheddar cheese.
• Put some olive oil in a small bowl.
• Grease a 9"*13" glass or metal baking pan.
• Take your phyllo dough sheets and lie the sheets, stacked, on a dry surface.
• TIP: (While adding the filling, you may wish to cover the dough with a dry towel and then a damp one to keep it from drying out or flaking) Place one sheet of dough into the pan and cut away excess.
• Brush with oil, using either your hands or a pastry brush.
• Repeat until dough is 6 or 7 layers.
• Add a skim of filling with hands and spread evenly.
• Repeat steps 16-18 until the pie reaches the top of the pan or you run out of ingredients.
• Just make sure you finish with the dough on top, sort of like lasagna.
• Place pie in the oven, uncovered, about 45 minutes.
• The top becomes flaky.
• Pour on top of the pie while it is baking, 1/4 cup sour cream blended with 0.125 cup of milk.
• Bake for 15 more minutes.
• This dish can be served warm or room temperature.
• It is traditionally served with a yogurt beverage which is easily replicated by mixing the plain yogurt with milk, in equal parts.

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.