Tiropita (AKA Greek Cheese Puffs)

These are one of my favorite snacks/side dishes to eat and the sister to spanakopita, another one of my favorites 🙂 . A nice creamy and perfectly salty bite with a crunchy exterior. You can’t only eat one piece of this savory pastry, so go ahead and indulge!

There are a few different ways to make tiropita. One way is easier than another, it just has feta, olive oil, eggs, spices and some fresh dill (or other herbs), and cottage cheese, ricotta or some other shredded cheeses. I tend to like the way my mother used to make them, with a béchamel base. It makes the inside a creamier texture and not as salty as the other way…although the béchamel may be tricky to make, if it’s your first time…it’s imperative that you make sure you stir well and get all the lumps out, no one wants a clumpy sauce 🙂 .

You can make this in a pita style (meaning one large pan) or can wrap them individual so you have single servings. The latter is the best way if you are making them as appetizers, if you are making it as a pita then add a salad and make it a meal! Either way, these are delicious!

You will need:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups warm whole milk (you can use a lower fat milk, if you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, divided
• 16-22 ounces crumbled Greek feta cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)
• 7 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 14 sheets of filo/phyllo dough
• 1 stick of butter, melted and slightly cooled

Steps:

1. To make the béchamel, melt the butter, then add the flour and stir well until combined, it will be chunky (this is called a roux).
2. Pour in the warm milk (you can warm in in the microwave in a glass container or on the stove in a pan), and start stirring quickly until the milk is incorporated into the roux with no lumps…keep stirring if it looks lumpy and try to break up the lumps. Make sure you get into the edges of the pan.
3. Once your béchamel is smooth continue to simmer for a minute as you stir then remove from heat, add salt and half of the pepper, stir, and cool.
4. Make sure you stir the béchamel every few minutes while it’s cooling, you don’t want it to form a skin on top.
5. While your béchamel is cooling, lightly beat the eggs and add into a mixing bowl with the crumbled feta and the rest of the pepper, gently fold everything together.
6. Once sauce is cool to touch, add it into the feta and egg mixture and combine everything well.
7. Add the dill and combine one more time…now you are ready to assemble.
8. To assemble, find a pan that is about a couple inches smaller, on each side, than your filo dough sheets, if you can. Using a pastry brush, brush some butter on the bottom of the pan, then add a filo sheet to the center and butter the top of the filo with some more butter, keep layering the filo and buttering for a total of 8 sheets on the bottom.
9. Next, add the feta mixture and spread evenly on the filo sheets in the pan. You want the feta mixture to come up about 1 to 1 1/4 inch, so if you have extra filling you can make some additional individual pastries or another small pan. If you have any filo overhanging the pan bring it in to lay on top of the filling.
10. Now, start layering the final 6 sheets of filo, the same way, and buttering in between. Once you’ve layered them all, generously apply some more butter to the top then cut any excess filo that is around the perimeter of the pan with a sharp knife.
11. Lightly score the top (about 3 filo down) of the filo into servings. Do not cut deep enough where it exposes the filling.
12. Wet your hand with water and shake it on top of the pita.
13. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until lightly golden on top.
14. Slightly cool and then cut into the pita all the way to the bottom where you had originally scored the top.

Note: For individual tiropita, cut filo in half on the long side and then butter each piece, one at a time, fold in each long end slightly and butter again, then add a tablespoon of the feta mixture to the top and fold into a triangle by bringing one edge to the other side and then again until its all folded up,. Butter generously on both sides and lay on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for later use or bake immediately at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. If baking from frozen, bake at same temperature for about 35 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Kali Orexi!