Spanakopita Puffs are miniature spinach pies stuffed with a blend of tender spinach and plenty of herbed feta cheese, wrapped up in a buttery puff pastry shell. This post is sponsored by Milk Means More and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. All opinions are my own.
My love for Greek and Mediterranean inspired food all started when I was a just-this-side-of-broke college student frequenting a little hole-in-the-wall family run restaurant in Greek Town. The food was both excellent and economical. I can’t even begin to tally the amount of grilled chicken gyros, Greek salads, and steaming bowls of lemony garlic lentil soup with feta that I ate during my time in school, but suffice it to say, that was when Greek food became a major feature of my diet.
Fast forward a few years to Bacon Slayer and I moving to the suburbs, as young professionals are wont to do after having their first child. We met our neighbors Jamie and Becky the day after we moved in. Becky is Greek, so it was pretty much inevitable that we’d be fast friends. We had daily conversations from our respective porches. Our kids climbed milk crates daily in order to see each other when talking over the fence in the yard. We chased each others kids or pets down then street when they managed to Houdini their way through the confines of our fences.
In nicer weather, we left our windows open after putting the kids to bed, so that we could hang out around the outdoor fire pit while still keeping a vigilant ear out for kids. Our extended families considered each of us to be natural additions to our respective family trees. We celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and other life events together. We looked out for one another.
Through it all, no matter the life event, we always brought each other food. I always brought them chicken pot pie and shortbread cookies. Becky always brought Greek salad and her famous spanakopita. Literally translated, spanakopita means spinach pie. Becky makes her spinach pie by layering the savory filling between a stack of buttery phyllo dough sheets in a 13″ x 9″ pan. Oh man! All of those buttery, flaky layers of phyllo practically melt in your mouth. I’m telling you, Becky’s spinach pie is the stuff dreams are made of!
Since we moved Up North ten years ago, it’s been almost as long that I’ve been living in state of spanakopita deficit. It’s tragic, really. I miss my neighbor way more than I miss her spinach pie, but the spinach pie is a close second. I’ve made Becky’s spinach pie with her a few times, so there’s no excuse for me not to make it. But let’s be honest–I don’t have the patience to keep those fragile sheets of phyllo in one piece. Those suckers are delicate to the point of being brittle, and brittle dough makes me a tad surly.
Spanakopita Puffs include the same tasty filling as the original, but skips the crumbly phyllo dough to make the assembly process user friendly. Rather than layering the filling with full sheets of puff pastry, I thought it would be fun to make smaller spinach pies, or puffs, in order to maximize the crispy flakes of pastry in every bite. The resulting Spanakopita Puffs are individual spinach pies stuffed with tender spinach and plenty of herbaceous feta cheese wrapped up in a buttery puff pastry shell. Each bite is like a hug from a dear friend.
Print the Spanakopita Puffs recipe:
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 8 Individual Puffs (Pies)
Spanakopita Puffs are individual spinach pies stuffed with a blend of tender spinach and plenty of herbed feta cheese, wrapped up in a buttery puff pastry shell.
30 minPrep Time
28 minCook Time
58 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 (17.3 oz.) package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets)
- 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 small (1 C.) diced onion
- 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 4 oz. light cream cheese, softened
- ½ C. crumbled garlic and herb feta cheese
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 2 eggs, divided
- 1 Tbs. cold water
Instructions
- Place the puff pastry sheets on the counter to thaw for about 15 minutes. As soon as the sheets have thawed enough manipulate without cracking, unfold the sheets and continue to thaw them flat.
- Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once butter is melted and frothy, sauté the onions for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender and translucent.
- Stir the spinach into the softened onions. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the water from the spinach evaporates and the spinach is mostly dry. Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl; cool slightly while preparing the rest of the filling.
- In a small bowl, blend the cream cheese with one of the eggs, salt, and pepper until smooth. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the spinach mixture to combine. Stir in the feta cheese; briefly set the filling aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two rimmed half sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats .
- On a floured surface, roll one sheet of parchment out to a 10” x 12” rectangle. Cut the sheet in half length wise, and then again widthwise to form four 5” x 6” rectangles. Place the rectangles onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining pastry sheet, placing them on the other baking sheet.
- Place ¼ cup of the filling onto the center of each cut pastry. Whisk the remaining egg with the cold water to create an egg wash. Lightly brush the egg wash around the perimeter edges of each pastry sheet. Pick up one of the short sides of pastry and fold it over the filling toward the other short side. Press the edges to seal before crimping the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining pastries.
- Brush a small amount of egg wash over top of each pastry. Cut a few small slits on top of each pastry to allow the filling to vent steam as it cooks.
- Bake Spanakopita Puffs for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastries are evenly browned on top. Transfer pastries to a wire rack to cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.
For more great recipes using puff pastry, try these:
Pear and Gorgonzola Puff Pastry Pinwheels by Reluctant Entertainer
Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Bake by Wonky Wonderful
Pigs in a Puff Pastry Blanket by Foodie Crush
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