Phyllo Greens Pie

Working with phyllo dough is one of those ingredients that seems to scare so many people. Lucky for me I once had a roommate who grew up with her mother making homemade phyllo (and I waxed poetic about it in this post). I have made it one of my culinary missions to educate people about the simplicity of using phyllo for savory dishes. It is so easy once you give it a go that I have turned to perfect strangers in grocery store lines and explained the basics.

While this is basically the same recipe from the first post, those photos left a lot to be desired. Here's a new photo of a pie made with an abundance of fall kale and the cooking technique that I mention of pouring eggs over the uncooked pie instead of mixing it in with the filling.

The great thing about this pie is that is tastes delicious, not matter how perfectly (or not) you think it looks. It's a great introduction for getting over your fears of how to work with this unique pastry and it moves beyond the dessert realm!

Phyllo Greens Pie

1/2 roll phyllo dough, defrosted
spray can of cooking oil (like Pam)
1 bunch greens (kale, Swiss chard), cleaned, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
6 oz goat cheese
1 cup parmesan, grated
3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
pepper

Take phyllo dough out of freezer at least 12 hours prior to using. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add chopped greens and cook until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses, dill, pepper and salt to taste. When ready to begin assembly of pie, roll out sheets on clean dish towel and cover with another clean towel.

In 8 x 11 baking pan, spray bottom with oil and lay down two sheets of phyllo. Do not worry if they tear, just arrange them to fit within the bottom of the pan (if the edges go up the side, just fold them down to fit the bottom of the pan.) Spray the sheets with some oil and add another two sheets and spray them as well. Dab filling across the sheets in a layer that is more of a spotted layer rather than an even one. Lay another two sheets of phyllo on top and spray with oil. Then add another two sheets and spray with oil.

Dab filling on top, particularly in the pockets where there is no filling below. Lay another two sheets down on top and before spraying with oil press down with your hands to level the pie out. Continue layering sheets with oil and filling until all filling is gone and make sure to leave 4 sheets for top level.

Spray top sheets with oil and then cut the pie in squares as you would with a finished baked pie, carefully cutting through the raw phyllo. In a bowl add the milk to the beaten eggs and pour over the top of the pie, turning the dish to try and evenly distribute the liquid, making sure to wet down the tops of the phyllo pieces. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until it is browned on top as the picture illustrates. Allow to cool 5 minutes and cut along precut lines and serve. This is all really good cold.

Hugs!