Spanakopita is always a must-order for many whenever visiting a Greek eatery or bakery.
However, in addition to spanakopita there’s a whole world out there of Greek savoury pies waiting to be explored. In fact, whenever you see ‘pita’ at the end of a Greek word, that means it’s either a sweet or savoury pie.
Like spanakopita, tiropita is also a savoury Greek pie encased in a filo crust, however instead of a spinach, herb and feta filling, tiropita is filled with a mixture of cheese and eggs.
The cheeses used vary widely from recipe to recipe, but feta is almost always a mainstay, along with some combination of cottage cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, or even Parmesan or Gouda.
When you bite through the crisp, buttery pastry into the tiropita you are greeted by a rich, salty, cheesy filling that has almost a custard-like consistency due to the egg.
Tiropita can be baked in one large dish and portioned into squares, or otherwise baked into smaller, individual triangles.
In Greece, tiropita is most commonly eaten for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack. It is not uncommon to see cafes advertising a breakfast combo of coffee and tiropita.
The key to a good tiropita is using good quality Greek feta and enough olive oil.
500 grams (17 ounces) feta
250 grams (9 ounces) fresh anthotyros or ricotta
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint (or 1 tablespoon dried mint)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill (or 1 tablespoon dried mint)
Freshly ground pepper
3 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing
12 filo sheets defrosted
White or black sesame seeds optional
Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C)
Grease (with olive oil) a 9X13 inch (25X35 cm) casserole dish or pan
In a large bowl smash the feta and anthotyros with a fork
Add the mint, dill and pepper and mix
In a small bowl beat the eggs and add them to the cheese mixture along with one tablespoon olive oil. Mix well
Prepare your working area so that you have space to spread the filo
Remove your first filo sheet carefully and spread it on the bottom of the pan. If it is too big you can scrunch it to fit. Brush with olive oil. I often use an olive oil spray bottle instead
Place the second filo on top of the first filo and brush with olive oil and continue until you have spread 6 sheets of filo
Spread the cheese mixture over the filo making sure it is spread evenly
Cover with 5-6 more filo sheets repeating the same process (brushing with olive oil). Make sure that you do not scrunch the final 2-3 filo sheets
Brush the top layer with olive oil and score. Cut only through the filo (not all the way down).
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, splash a bit of water on top with your fingers and place in the oven
Bake for about 40 minutes. Lift side slightly to make sure the bottom is baked. Place on the bottom of the oven for another 5 minutes
Let it cool for 15 minutes and cut in pieces
Keep in refrigerator. You may reheat it at about 280 degrees or you can eat it at room temperature.
For the mini triangle tiropitakia, most often served at parties and family get-to-gethers firstly make the filling as per the above directions.
Preheat the oven at 180 C (350 degrees fahrenheit)
Spread out 1 sheet of filo; brush a small amount of olive oil. Cut the sheet in 4 strips lengthwise
Place on the top corner of each strip about 1 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Start folding in a small triangle (see photo). Continue until you use the whole mixture
Place cheese pies on a lightly greased pan and brush them with a bit of olive oil
Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Papoutsakia (Greek Baked Stuffed Eggplant) Recipe