Kreatopita Greek Meat Pie Using Phyllo Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, coat bottom of pan with olive oil and add ground beef (and mushrooms, if using). Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, and stirring often until meat and mushrooms are browned and liquid emitted has evaporated (make sure all the liquid has evaporated - you don't want a soggy pita!).
• Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano and cinnamon and cook until liquid emitted from onions has evaporated, too.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to bring hot filling up (to cool faster).
• Add cheese, parsley and eggs to meat filling and combine thoroughly to blend. Taste filling and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.
• In a 15 x 10 inch pan (or large pan), layer half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one generously with olive oil (use a pastry brush), before adding the next sheet of pastry.
• Pour the meat filling into the phyllo-lined pan.
• Layer the remaining phyllo sheets in the same way, over the filling, brushing each one generously with olive oil before adding the next sheet of pastry. When you reach the last sheet (the top one), brush this one slightly more generously than the rest, tuck in any overhang you have neatly into the pie and score pie, lengthwise, into 4, using the tip of a small, sharp knife and making sure you don't cut all the way through the bottom of the pastry (just the top crust and slightly into the filling).
• Position baking rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F).
• Bring your pan next to the sink and run the cold water tap. Wet the tips of your fingers and shake the water onto the pastry. Do this a few times to ensure droplets of water fall all over the pastry (this ensures a crisp crust upon baking).
• Bake pie for approximately one hour, until you achieve a deep golden crust. If you have a flat-bottomed oven (no element), do put your pan on the floor of the oven for the last 20 minutes or so to ensure an even crisper bottom crust.
• The pita is best slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl and add the water with oil.
• Stir until forms soft dough, then knead in the bowl about 10 minutes.
• Dough will feel sticky at first, but kneading, it should develop into a dough that becomes smooth and satiny.
• When well mixed and smooth, wrap pastry in plastic wrap and leave it to rest at room temperature about one hour.
• If not all the dough is being used right away, wrap the unused portion and keep chilled in fridge up to a week.
• Always bring to room temp before using.
• Divide the pastry into 12 equal portions, shaping them into smooth balls.
• Cover with a cloth, except the one you're working with.
• Take a ball of dough, and shape it into a square.
• Place it on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 6 inch square using rolling pin.
• Dust again with flour.
• Take the dowel, and place on one end of the pastry, and roll neatly onto the dowel, pressing firmly as you do so.
• Keep hands on each side of the pastry.
• Unroll the pastry and dust the work surface and pastry with a little flour, and roll up again from opposite side as before, exerting pressure as you go.
• Unroll carefully.
• After second rolling, the pastry should be about 10x12 inches.
• Using the back of your hands, place them under the pastry and stretch gently, moving hands to keep it even, working toward the edges.
• The edges can be given a final stretch with the fingertips.
• You should wind up with a pastry that's 14x18 inches in size.
• Place on a cloth, cover with wax paper and fold the cloth over the top.
• Repeat the above process with remaining dough balls, laying each on top of the previous one with wax paper between them.
• Use soon after making as they'll go sour if you keep them too long.
• If desired, you can roll them out more thinly.
• Repeating the dowel rolling process more will result in a thinner square each time.
• Phyllo can be used like a puff pastry when thicker, or it's wonderful in baklawa, lamb pastries, or many other mid eastern sweets when rolled very thin.
• In Greece, they'll often use phyllo as a crust for certain types of pies, such as spinach.

Steps:

• In a pan, heat the garlic with half of the olive oil.
• Add in the ground meat and small onion.
• When the meat is almost cooked through add in the tomato paste.
• Add in the salt, pepper, cinnamon and all spice to your taste.
• When cooked completely through, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
• In a large lasagna size glass pan, spray the bottom of the pan with Pam.
• Add one sheet of the Phyllo dough.
• Spray that sheet and add another layer the same way until you have 5 sheets sprayed down with the Pam and layered on top of each other.
• You can let it go over the sides if the pan is too small for the sheet.
• Once you have the 5 sheets, add the meat to the sheets and spread evenly.
• Add the feta cheese evenly on top of the meat mixture.
• Make sure it is crumbled small.
• You do not want large chunks in one spot.
• Once you are through with that, start to add the remaining sheets the same way you did to begin with, remembering to spray each sheet as you layer.
• On the top layer, I sprayed with the Pam and also put the remaining olive oil on it spread evenly.
• You do not have to do this, I just like the extra taste.
• I also folded over the overlay to make it seal somewhat.
• Cook for about 15-17 minutes or until it is lightly golden on the top.

Steps:

• Filling: Place sliced onion in a colander. Pour salted boiled water over them, rinse and drain well.
• Add onions to a coated pan and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add beef, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir well.
• Add 1/2 cup of water and boil until just the mixture is left.
• Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool.
• Prepare béchamel Sauce by melting butter in small pan whisk in flour and add hot milk. Whisk.
• Add 3 eggs, cheese, bread and béchamel sauce to the filling and set aside.
• Pastry: Combine the pastry ingredients, except for the egg yolk/milk, in a mixing bowl.
• Knead it into a pliable, non-sticky dough.
• Separate the dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other.
• Take the larger ball and roll out enough to more than cover your oven dish. Place it in a buttered pie pan, covering the bottom, and sides, going slightly over the edge at the top.
• Now place the filling on top of the crust and level it.
• Roll out the second dough ball and cover the filling.
• Butter the edge of the bottom crust and fold it over inwards to cover the edge of the top crust and make a border by pressing the edges with your fingertips.
• Mix the milk and egg yolk and brush the surface with the mixture.
• Poke a hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape and stick the rest of the pastry with a fork.
• Place in a preheated oven at 325F degrees for about 45 minutes, until it is golden brown.