Greek Skillet Pies With Feta and Greens Recipe (2024)

There are chefs and there are pastry chefs. I am not the latter and this recipe turned into a rare culinary catastrophe. I wound up with a bunch of doughy dumplings and a kitchen strewn with pots, pans, bowls, boards, tongs, grills, rolling pins, and green bits of chopped vegetables all over the place. This is not a recipe for the poorly organized or those without a sympathetic connection to pastry. But, We Are Scientists, and to experiment is to nobly bear failure every now and then.

Thank you for injecting a note of humour into this. I contemplated just abandoning my house rather than the clean-up involved! A dear older friend, Greek by birth and a fantastic cook, raised her eyebrows when I described my adventure and commented, "Darling, why do you think I buy my phyllo ready made."

One hectic evening I made this using homemade flour tortillas. Excellent. Olive oil is crucial. I might add a bit of garlic next time.

I modified the recipe by skipping the phyllo and buying pita bread (the pocket kind) and stuffing the spinach mixture inside them. I toasted them in a cast iron skillet. Although I am sure the original recipe would be good, this version is very quick and much lower in fat.

Oh, c'mon, only crazy people make filo from scratch.

I agree that using a phyllo dough AND grilling it is certainly chef overkill when you can buy phyllo dough almost everywhere. Using a bread dough as you suggest would certainly be an option, and a standard basic dough would work as well, even if the crispiness of phyllo is missing.
The filling, using mixed greens, is typical of Greek pies and is delicious.

I made the phyllo dough according to the recipe and the pies were excellent. But with the substitution of pita pockets (thank you CD) this has now become a go-to meal when I'm short on time. I add mozzarella and goat cheese to the mixture (to cut the tartness of the feta), stuff the pitas, brush them with olive oil, and grill them in a ridged pan on the stove top. Quick and delicious!

Hysterical

I noticed a lot of people made substitutions for the Phyllo dough and greens. I, too, made some substitutions and it came out delicious. Instead of Phyllo dough I tried rye bread. And instead of the greens I used 80% Angus ground beef. With this combination I thought extra sharp cheddar cheese might work equally well as feta so I tried that. Mmm. As an added treat I topped it aff with ketchup after it was cooked. Next time I may experiment with topping it l off with sauteed mushrooms and bacon.

I used pita bread pockets, which makes this a really easy recipe. I altered the filling a bit the second time I made this, because I didn't like the parsley. Now I do the following: cook a bunch of spinach, then mix that with feta (and/or cottage cheese--got the idea to add that from a spanakopita recipe) and the spices. Make a slit in the side of a pita pocket, put the filling in the pocket through the slit, and then cook the filled pita in a frying pan. Done in only 5-10 mins!!!

Used store bought, frozen Phyllo dough, doubled up layers. Way too fragile to handle without tearing. Tasted good though. If I make it again will probably try making the dough so it is more managable.

Just tried this, used commercial phyllo instead of making it. That was a mistake, it was too fragile and brittle, so I made a hash out of it, not something you'd present to company. The flavor was wonderful, so I'll definitely give it another go, using my own phyllo. FYI I didn't add parsley, and used 10 oz of a 50/50 spring greens/spinach mix, and used Aleppo red pepper, ~ 1/2 tsp, which gave it a nice bite, I think just a pinch would have been lost.

Once you master making the phyllo, this is the tastiest pie ever. It takes a lot of practice with the dough but it is worth the effort. Greek pies are relatively healthier as fat is used very sparingly and the feta gives them the irresistible taste. This particular pie needs so very little olive oil, the greens and feta cheese combination makes it truly a culinary pleasure. The store bought phyllo will not do for this pie.

The vinegar in the dough acts as a tenderizer.

I made these using a half baked harvest flour whole wheat tortilla recipe. I couldn’t find phyllo dough unfortunately. They were amazing- I also added cilantro instead of parsley. Definitely making again!

Added tomato and onion, and a splash of cumin. Also skipped the phyllo and stuffed in pita crust, was okay

I totally cheated. Store bought phyllo and well drained frozen spinach. Took a project meal and turned it into an easy after work meal.

While this dough was a bit more challenging, it is worth trying. I let it sit at room temperature all day. Then I rolled it very thinly on rice flour and let them sit for a while. They were not hard to fold or handle, just be gentle. medium heat over a hot griddle worked out just fine. Don't use regular phyllo or just make a spanakopita. Was delicious with rose.

I read the comments about the dough so decided to mix it in my vitamix blender and that worked fine (just had to form it into a ball before wrapping). I sauted onions, garlic and the spinach in a skillet instead of blanching in water. I added lemon juice in with the herbs. It came out great! excellent for making ahead of time and freezing.

I used store bought phyllo - definitely shortened the cook time and it was no mess. I adapted the filling - added Greek yogurt and smashed chickpeas to add creaminess.

I wouldn’t make these again. I didn’t mind the mess or work, but it didn’t have much flavor. Add more salt, pepper, maybe lemon and garlic. They were just pretty boring.

The dough took a lot more water that indicated in the recipe to achieve a soft dough. I’ve worked with store bought phyllo dough many times, and there is no way that it would work in this application. This dough has strength; phyllo dough, as I know it, does not. It’s not what I would classify as pastry, it resembles an empanada dough.Anyhow, apart from adding probably 1.5 x more water to the dough, I made the recipe exactly and it was delicious and loved by everyone who ate it.

*store bought filo, not feta

I used the pasta machine technique to make 8 sheets which I folded into 8 triangular pies. Then used the outdoor grill, followed by about 5 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees as the sides weren't crisp. They ARE excellent, but also a lot of work for 8 pies. Brainstorming how to make these easier but I think store-bought feta would be unsuitable for the grilling technique.

Less dill

This recipe is worth the work, although I didn't think it was as involved as other people. I used arugula and added some fire salt from a local spice company that really turned up the flavor. I didn't have any parsley so I supplemented with thyme and Thai basil. Delicious warm and wonderful!

This is too much work, unnecessary. If you make home-made phyllo, just roll out one for the bottom and one for the top of your pan of choice, and call it a day. About 1.5 cups flour + water and salt and drop of oil will get you a good 9x13 pita.

I made this but with premade phyllo dough, and it was quite tasty. For reference of others, this is enough for 2 people to have a full meal (at least with the pie shapes and sizes I made). Double the filling for 4 people.

Hard to know when more water is needed in the dough - until trying to put it through the macchina per pasta -Way too dry. geez, back into the mixer after a few hours of resting, adding dribbles of water and kneading it in. Yes the filling is wonderful, looking for a quick to serve shortly. eep.