Whenever I have some salty cheese and leftover boiled spinach from another meal, I make this pie. It's one of the recipes I prepare especially when guests come over or when I want to have something savory on hand that is easy to cut and doesn't require much effort. No complicated techniques are needed, but it's important to have the ingredients ready in advance and to work quickly with the pastry sheets, especially if they are from the fridge.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes (depending on how quickly you work with the sheets and filling)
Baking time: 40-50 minutes, until nicely browned on top
Servings: 8-10
Difficulty: medium, especially when handling the sheets
Recipe type: savory pie, suitable for lunch, dinner, or snacks
Ingredients
9 sheets of pastry (usually store-bought, doesn’t matter if they are fresh or thawed)
60 g butter
500 g salty cow cheese or telemea cheese (finely grated)
100 g burduf cheese
200 g boiled and chopped spinach
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs
200 ml sour cream
a pinch of salt (only if the cheese is not salty enough)
Preparation method
1. I start by melting the butter, usually directly in a small saucepan. Once melted, I let it cool for a few minutes so that I don’t burn the sheets when I use it.
2. In a large bowl, I put the grated cheese or telemea and the burduf cheese. I add the boiled and chopped spinach, a tablespoon of sour cream, two raw eggs, sugar, and finally salt, only if I taste it and find it necessary. I mix everything with a fork or a large spoon until it looks homogeneous. The mixture doesn’t have to be very fine, but not with large chunks either.
3. I unfold the pastry sheets and prepare them one by one. I place the first sheet on the work surface and brush it with melted butter using a pastry brush (it works with my hand too if I don’t have a clean brush at hand). On top of it, I place the second sheet, then butter, then the third sheet, and a little butter. On this "stack" of three sheets, I spread one-third of the cheese and spinach mixture evenly.
4. I carefully roll the three sheets with the filling tightly like a scroll. I transfer the first scroll into a previously greased heat-resistant dish with a little butter (not too much, just enough to prevent sticking).
5. I repeat the same procedure twice more to get two more pastry scrolls. I place them in the tray next to the first one, leaving a little space between them if they fit.
6. With a fork, I prick each scroll along its length, here and there. This helps during baking so that it doesn’t puff up randomly in places.
7. In a separate bowl, I beat the remaining eggs (two in total) with the rest of the sour cream. I mix well and pour everything evenly over the scrolls in the tray.
8. I put the tray in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius. I leave it for about 40-50 minutes, or until the pie is nicely browned on top and the egg and sour cream mixture is set. I don’t open the oven door until the end to check if it has browned properly.
9. I let it cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting, otherwise, it may fall apart. It can be eaten warm or cold.
Why I make this recipe often
It’s a savory pie that I can easily adapt depending on what cheese I have in the fridge. It keeps well the next day, and the taste remains good even when cold. It’s great for packing or as a quick snack.
Tips and variations
Tips
1. If you use drier or thinner pastry sheets, cover them with a damp towel while you’re not working with them to prevent them from drying out.
2. The cheese should be salty enough; otherwise, it will taste bland. Taste before adding salt to the filling.
3. The spinach should be well drained before chopping and mixing, otherwise, it will release liquid into the pie.
4. If it’s browning too quickly on top, you can place a piece of baking paper over the pie in the last 10-15 minutes.
Substitutions
1. You can use cow or sheep telemea, depending on what you have on hand.
2. If you don’t have burduf cheese, increase the amount of telemea and add a tablespoon of creamy yogurt.
3. Fresh spinach can be replaced with frozen spinach, but it should be well drained after boiling.
Variations
1. Sometimes I add a little chopped green herbs (dill, parsley) to the mixture, but it’s not mandatory.
2. You can reduce or eliminate the sugar if you want a saltier pie.
3. For more texture, you can add a tablespoon of semolina or breadcrumbs to the filling, but it’s not necessary.
Serving ideas
1. It’s good on its own, with a green salad or tomato salad.
2. It also goes well with cold yogurt or sour cream on top.
3. For a picnic or packed lunch, cut it into thick slices and wrap it in paper.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use raw spinach directly in the pie?
No, the spinach must be boiled and chopped; otherwise, it will release water and the filling won’t hold together.
2. Can I freeze the pie after baking?
It can be frozen, but the texture of the sheets will not be as crispy after thawing and reheating.
3. What if I don’t have butter?
You can use neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed) to grease the sheets, but the taste will be different.
4. Can it be made without sugar?
Yes, you can completely omit the sugar if you don’t want any hint of sweetness.
5. What type of sour cream is used?
Ideally, fermented sour cream is used, not liquid whipped cream.
Nutritional values
Approximately, for one serving (out of 10): about 290-320 kcal, 14 g protein, 21 g fat, 17 g carbohydrates. The value depends on the exact type of cheese used and how much butter remains on the sheet. The pie has a significant contribution of protein and fat from the cheese, while carbohydrates mainly come from the sheets.
Storage and reheating
I store the pie in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. It can be easily reheated in the oven or microwave, but it doesn’t become as crispy as fresh. If any remains, it’s good cold; it doesn’t get excessively soggy if it was baked enough. If you want to keep it longer, it’s better to freeze it before baking, then bake it directly without thawing, extending the oven time by 10-15 minutes.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes (depending on how quickly you work with the sheets and filling)
Baking time: 40-50 minutes, until nicely browned on top
Servings: 8-10
Difficulty: medium, especially when handling the sheets
Recipe type: savory pie, suitable for lunch, dinner, or snacks
Ingredients
9 sheets of pastry (usually store-bought, doesn’t matter if they are fresh or thawed)
60 g butter
500 g salty cow cheese or telemea cheese (finely grated)
100 g burduf cheese
200 g boiled and chopped spinach
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs
200 ml sour cream
a pinch of salt (only if the cheese is not salty enough)
Preparation method
1. I start by melting the butter, usually directly in a small saucepan. Once melted, I let it cool for a few minutes so that I don’t burn the sheets when I use it.
2. In a large bowl, I put the grated cheese or telemea and the burduf cheese. I add the boiled and chopped spinach, a tablespoon of sour cream, two raw eggs, sugar, and finally salt, only if I taste it and find it necessary. I mix everything with a fork or a large spoon until it looks homogeneous. The mixture doesn’t have to be very fine, but not with large chunks either.
3. I unfold the pastry sheets and prepare them one by one. I place the first sheet on the work surface and brush it with melted butter using a pastry brush (it works with my hand too if I don’t have a clean brush at hand). On top of it, I place the second sheet, then butter, then the third sheet, and a little butter. On this "stack" of three sheets, I spread one-third of the cheese and spinach mixture evenly.
4. I carefully roll the three sheets with the filling tightly like a scroll. I transfer the first scroll into a previously greased heat-resistant dish with a little butter (not too much, just enough to prevent sticking).
5. I repeat the same procedure twice more to get two more pastry scrolls. I place them in the tray next to the first one, leaving a little space between them if they fit.
6. With a fork, I prick each scroll along its length, here and there. This helps during baking so that it doesn’t puff up randomly in places.
7. In a separate bowl, I beat the remaining eggs (two in total) with the rest of the sour cream. I mix well and pour everything evenly over the scrolls in the tray.
8. I put the tray in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius. I leave it for about 40-50 minutes, or until the pie is nicely browned on top and the egg and sour cream mixture is set. I don’t open the oven door until the end to check if it has browned properly.
9. I let it cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting, otherwise, it may fall apart. It can be eaten warm or cold.
Why I make this recipe often
It’s a savory pie that I can easily adapt depending on what cheese I have in the fridge. It keeps well the next day, and the taste remains good even when cold. It’s great for packing or as a quick snack.
Tips and variations
Tips
1. If you use drier or thinner pastry sheets, cover them with a damp towel while you’re not working with them to prevent them from drying out.
2. The cheese should be salty enough; otherwise, it will taste bland. Taste before adding salt to the filling.
3. The spinach should be well drained before chopping and mixing, otherwise, it will release liquid into the pie.
4. If it’s browning too quickly on top, you can place a piece of baking paper over the pie in the last 10-15 minutes.
Substitutions
1. You can use cow or sheep telemea, depending on what you have on hand.
2. If you don’t have burduf cheese, increase the amount of telemea and add a tablespoon of creamy yogurt.
3. Fresh spinach can be replaced with frozen spinach, but it should be well drained after boiling.
Variations
1. Sometimes I add a little chopped green herbs (dill, parsley) to the mixture, but it’s not mandatory.
2. You can reduce or eliminate the sugar if you want a saltier pie.
3. For more texture, you can add a tablespoon of semolina or breadcrumbs to the filling, but it’s not necessary.
Serving ideas
1. It’s good on its own, with a green salad or tomato salad.
2. It also goes well with cold yogurt or sour cream on top.
3. For a picnic or packed lunch, cut it into thick slices and wrap it in paper.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use raw spinach directly in the pie?
No, the spinach must be boiled and chopped; otherwise, it will release water and the filling won’t hold together.
2. Can I freeze the pie after baking?
It can be frozen, but the texture of the sheets will not be as crispy after thawing and reheating.
3. What if I don’t have butter?
You can use neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed) to grease the sheets, but the taste will be different.
4. Can it be made without sugar?
Yes, you can completely omit the sugar if you don’t want any hint of sweetness.
5. What type of sour cream is used?
Ideally, fermented sour cream is used, not liquid whipped cream.
Nutritional values
Approximately, for one serving (out of 10): about 290-320 kcal, 14 g protein, 21 g fat, 17 g carbohydrates. The value depends on the exact type of cheese used and how much butter remains on the sheet. The pie has a significant contribution of protein and fat from the cheese, while carbohydrates mainly come from the sheets.
Storage and reheating
I store the pie in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. It can be easily reheated in the oven or microwave, but it doesn’t become as crispy as fresh. If any remains, it’s good cold; it doesn’t get excessively soggy if it was baked enough. If you want to keep it longer, it’s better to freeze it before baking, then bake it directly without thawing, extending the oven time by 10-15 minutes.