Normally I share recipes for foods that might have been in one of my novels, but I’ve never had anyone make any version of spanakopita. In fact, I’d never made it or used phyllo ever, so it was quite an experience. A fun experience and so I’m sharing this recipe with you today!

Spinach Pie

Ingredients

1 package frozen phyllo dough
32-40 ounces chopped spinach (frozen is absolutely fine!)
2 eggs, beaten
5 to 6 mushrooms finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups chopped feta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 stick melted butter
1/2 bar of low-fat cream cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spinach, cool, and squeeze out all the water. It will be a lot. I found it easier to use frozen spinach and cooked it in the microwave. Once drained, place it in a mixing bowl.

Cook mushrooms over high heat to get rid of any excess moisture. Add onions and saute until onions are translucent and fairly cooked. Add to the spinach and mix together with the cream cheese and eggs. Then add the ricotta, parmesan, and feta, and mix. Taste so you can add salt and pepper. The feta and parmesan are fairly salty so you may not need additional salt.

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan. Place the first sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and lightly brush with butter. Repeat seven times. Your phyllo may be slightly longer than the pan, so you may want to either cut away the excess or just fold it for extra crunch.

Once you have the bottom layers of phyllo done, add the spinach/cheese mixture and spread it evenly over the phyllo.

Layer a sheet of phyllo over the spinach and cheese mixture and lightly brush it with butter. Repeat seven times and brush the top sheet with butter to finish. To make cutting easier once it is baked, use a serrated knife to cut the squares through the first few layers of phyllo.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

(adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.com)