Kreatopita Meat Pie With Phyllo Crust 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:

• 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:

• Prepare pan: generously butter a 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.
• To prepare filling: heat oil in a wide saute pan over moderate heat; add in the onion; cook just until the onion is beginning to color, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic; cook for a few seconds longer, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.
• Use a wooden spoon to stir in and break up the ground beef; cook for 10 minutes, continuing to break up any large clumps.
• Stir in bell pepper and the chili along with the seasonings; simmer mixture until the meat is completely cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape the mixture into a bowl; cool to room temperature.
• Assemble the pie: place a phyllo sheet in the bottom of the prepared pan and drizzle with butter.
• Place another sheet on top of the first and drizzle with butter; repeat to make a bottom crust of 10 sheets of dough.
• Spread the meat filling evenly on the dough and top the filling with another 10 sheets of dough, drizzling butter between the layers as for the bottom crust (butter the top sheet).
• Use a sharp knife to cut through about half the layers of the top crust into 3 inch squares, then cut across the squares in the same way to make triangles; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Make the yogurt sauce: line a strainer with wet cheesecloth or a paper towel and scrape the yogurt into it.
• Place the strainer over a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate the yogurt and allow it to drain overnight; after the yogurt has drained, scrape it into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
• Add in garlic and let processor run for 30 seconds; with the processor running, drizzle in the oil through the feed tube.
• Scrape the sauce into a bowl, whisk in salt to taste, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• When you are ready to bake the pie, set oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375°F.
• Bake the pie until the dough is well baked through, about 40 minutes.
• Brush the top of the pie with butter or olive oil as soon as you remove it from the oven.
• Serve the pie immediately or let cool to room temperature.
• To serve: using the markings on the top crust as your guide, cut through the filling and bottom crust with a sharp knife; use an offset spatula or pie server to lift the section from the pan; place each on a plate and spoon some of the yogurt sauce next to the pastry.

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.