Traditional Tiropita (Greek cheese Pie with feta)
A delicious traditional Greek ‘Tiropita’ recipe suitable for every time of the day, as a main dish, starter or mid-day snack! To prepare this traditional tiropita recipe (Greek cheese pie) our feta cheese is crumbled and mixed with three different kind of cheese for extra flavour and then wrapped or layered in phyllo (filo) pastry, brushed with melted butter or olive oil and baked until golden and crispy perfection.. Simply delicious!
Tiropita with feta cheese (Greek cheese pie) is a very popular Greek dish, that comes into a variety of shapes and sizes. It can be made either in large pan and cut into individual portions (pan-sized tiropita) or rolled into individual triangular servings (tiropitakia). The main ingredient you will need to make this tiropita recipe (Greek cheese pie) is of course feta cheese which is a favourite ingredient in all types of Greek recipes, be it fried, baked or used for stuffing until nicely softened and slightly melty. A mature feta cheese gives this traditional tiropita recipe a bold and salty flavour, so be careful to just a little if no salt in the seasoning!
Ingredients
- 8-10 sheets of phyllo pastry
- 200g feta cheese, crumbled (7 ounces)
- 3/4 of a cup milk cream
- 100g grated Parmesan or Regato or kefalograviera (3.5 ounces)
- 100g grated Gouda cheese or Emedal cheese (3.5 ounces)
- 100g ricotta cheese or anthotiro (3.5 ounces)
- 2 large organic eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsps fresh mint (optional)
- olive oil or melted butter
- sesame seeds (optional)
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- If you choose to prepare this Greek tiropita recipe with commercial phyllo dough, it is important to thaw completely the phyllo dough by putting it in the fridge from the previous day. For the beginners at working with phyllo, check the handling tips before starting.
- Prepare the filling for the tiropita. This traditional tiropita recipe, calls for three different kind of cheese for extra flavour! Use a fork to crumble the feta cheese into a large bowl and add the beaten eggs along with the rest of the grated cheese and milk cream. Chop some fresh mint and add to the mixture. Season with freshly ground pepper and blend well with a spoon. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
- For this tiropita recipe you will need a large baking tray, approx. 20*30 cm. Using a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of the tray. Place one sheet of phyllo at the bottom of the pan and with a cooking brush sprinkle some olive oil or melted butter. Repeat the procedure, adding 4-5 more sheets of phyllo dough. You will use 5-6 phyllo sheets for the bottom of the tiropita.
- Pour in the feta cheese mixture and smooth with a spatula. With a knife trim some of the excessive phyllo, and fold the excess phyllo sheets flaps over the mixture. Top the tiropita with 4-5 more phyllo sheets, making sure to oil or butter each one, before adding the other; roll in the edges. Brush the top with oil or butter, sprinkle with water and sesame seeds. If using commercial phyllo dough to make this tiropita recipe make sure to scar the top with a sharp knife, to help release the steam.
- Bake the tiropita in a preheated oven at 180C for 45-50 minutes, until the phyllo is crisp and golden. Let it cool down for a while before serving. Enjoy!