Spanakopita Triangles – Recipe from Yummiest Food Cookbook (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between spanakopita and tiropita? ›

The difference between a spanakopita and tiropita is that spanakopita includes spinach and feta (sometimes only spinach) whereas tiropita only has cheese in its filling. And while it is a popular street-food it is also a popular dish people make at home.

Freeze it before baking. It won't lose nearly as much flavor or texture this way, as the dish won't be cooked twice. Just assemble the spanakopita, wrap it in one layer or storage wrap and one layer of aluminum foil, then freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge and cook according to the recipe.

An added bonus is that this recipe freezes beautifully, so you can store half of what you make now and just pop it into the oven on the nights you don't have time to cook. Whether you're making this dish in Athens, Georgia or Athens, Greece, your family will definitely love you for it!

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie typically containing cheese such as feta and/or ricotta. Our version is low in calories while high in fibre, iron and calcium. It's also diabetes-friendly and suitable for vegetarians.

In my Spanakopita recipe, I love using a mix of feta and kefalotiri, scallions, dill, and mint. The salty, briny, and aromatic flavors make this pie incredibly delicious. In Greece, you can find Spanakopita in windows of street-side coffee shops and bakeries and more refined versions on restaurant menus.

To get that flaky effect, you need to brush some sort of fat between each layer of dough. Usually I use unsalted butter, which gives the finished product a beautiful golden color. For those who don't want to use dairy, you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the butter.

History and Tradition

The savory snack may be related to ispanakli, a similar Turkish dish. The most delicious and authentic spanakopita recipes in the world are believed to be derived from the region of Epirus, in the north west of Greece.

Any moisture left will result in soggy Greek spinach pie. Place 1-2 layers of cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve or colander and allow to drain for an hour or so. You can also put it on a plate and let it drain in the refrigerator.

butter each layer. Don't skimp on this step! Once the pie has been assembled, you do something a bit unexpected… you actually cut the pie into squares before you bake it. The phyllo dough gets so light and crispy once it's baked, that if you try to cut it afterwards, you're going to crumble that beautiful top layer.

Set your spanakopita triangles out with whatever Greek-inspired foods you love best. A few of our faves?: warm pita, olives, sliced fresh veggies, hummus, marinated feta, Greek potatoes, lamb meatballs, grilled Greek chicken…the list goes on & on!

Can you reheat spanakopita triangles? ›

*Phyllo dough will become soggy in the microwave. On the off-chance you have leftovers, reheat the spanakopita in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

To bake the frozen spanakopita, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and put the frozen triangles on a baking sheet, then brush each with butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until deeply-golden brown.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat slices on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 -13 minutes, or until heated through. Freeze baked Spanakopita in a freezer-safe dish for up to 2 months.

Tiropita or tyropita (Greek: τυρóπιτα, "cheese-pie") is a Greek pastry made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a cheese-egg mixture.

Tiropsomo is similar to spanakopita and tiropita as they use cheese as their main ingredient. But what differentiates this Greek street food is that the cheese is baked into light bread instead of filo pastry. Apart from feta cheese, tiropsomo uses unkneaded dough made from flour and milk.

Greeks also love eating pies for breakfast !

All kind of pies : tiro pita (cheese pie), spanakopita (spinach pie), kreato-pita (chicken meat pie), served in triangular pieces.