Freezing pre-cooked spanakopita hors d'oeuvres question

[larry_stewart]

I'm going to be pulling up some chard from the garden to make room for the garlic I will be planting in a few weeks. I already have various forms of frozen chard saved from last year, so I wanted to do something different.

I was hoping I could make some mini spanakopita and freeze them for later use. Is there a good way to do this ? or am I just setting myself up for disaster?

 

[Andy M.]

We make spanakopita regularly and freeze individual pieces leftover. They are best reheated in the oven/toaster oven to ensure crispness.

 

[dragnlaw]

Andy! that picture is too perfect to be real!

 

[larry_stewart]

Great!, Just what I wanted to hear.
Thanks

 

[sonikoly]

Good luck with spanakopita! Hope to make a delicious dish!!!

 

[taxlady]

Does anyone have a good recipe for spanakopita?

 

[larry_stewart]

Mine is a veganized version that changes each time. Im sure someone else will have a better recipe than what I got.

 

[Andy M.]

Does anyone have a good recipe for spanakopita?

I got the recipe I use from and old Greek grandma who lived across the street. We really like it. I cannot attest to its authenticity.

Spanakopita​

2 Tb Oil
1 Bnch Scallions, minced
20 Oz Frozen Chopped Spinach
½ Lb Feta Cheese, crumbled
½ Lb Cottage Cheese
¼ C Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 Ea Eggs
¾ tsp Dill
¼ tsp Mint
⅛ tsp Black Pepper
⅛ C Parsley, minced
TT Salt
12 Tb Butter, melted
½ Lb Phyllo dough at room temp.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the scallions for 5 minutes. Do not brown. Set it aside to cool.

Defrost the spinach and press the water out of it. Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl and combine it with all the remaining ingredients, including the scallions, except the butter and phyllo. Taste the filling and salt to taste.

The filling can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for a day or two.

Brush butter onto the bottom of a 13”x9” baking dish.

Open the phyllo package and lay the sheets flat on the work surface. Cover with a damp towel. Keep the dough sheets covered during use.

Place a single sheet of phyllo into the buttered pan. Re-cover the dough. Brush the phyllo in the pan with melted butter. Repeat until there are 10 buttered sheets in the pan.

Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.

Continue layering and buttering sheets of phyllo on top of the filling using the remaining 10 sheets following the process described above. Butter the top layer.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the completed pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice the Spanakopita into squares.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the pan on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Elapsed Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes.

 

[taxlady]

Thank you, Andy. I have saved it to CMT.

 

[larry_stewart]

That recipe is very similar to the one I used to make before My wife turned vegan. I remember questioning tthe cottage cheese at first when I read it, but after making it, it really came out very good.

 

[GotGarlic]

I think it's better with fresh herbs: https://www.olivetomato.com/greek-spinach-and-feta-pie-spanakopita/

 

[dragnlaw]

GG - just the question I was going to ask, sometimes dried is better but good to know in this case fresh is the better option.

Andy - now I know why your pic is so perfect. The squares were cut before cooking! Makes it so clean looking.

 

[Andy M.]

. . . Andy - now I know why your pic is so perfect. The squares were cut before cooking! Makes it so clean looking.

Yes. Same goes for paklava.

 

[dragnlaw]

Oh my, didn't know there was such a creature as paklava. Just looked it up. Have you made it? I'd rather follow your recipe than most.

 

[cookiecrafter]

I have made this before to tidy up leftover ingredients like Phyllo dough. I never knew it is something.

I have never froze it but I may. I have learned two new things here (or maybe more).

 

[Andy M.]

Oh my, didn't know there was such a creature as paklava. Just looked it up. Have you made it? I'd rather follow your recipe than most.

We make it regularly.I got the basic recipe from a Middle Eastern cookbook then talked to my sister about it and she consulted with her sister-in-law who was the family expert. I have the resulting recipe. Here's the recipe from 10 years ago.

Our Armenian Style Paklava

As a follow-up to Seigal's Pistachio Baklava post I'm posting my version with photos for comparison. Here's the recipe with photos to follow: Paklava 1¼ C Sugar 1 C Water 1 tsp Lemon Juice 3 C Chopped Walnuts...

www.discusscooking.com