Crustless Spanakopita: A Delicious Spinach Feta Casserole

This delicious version of Greek spanakopita without flour is high in protein, calcium, folate, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, and can be served hot or cold, as a side or meatless main dish.

Servings: 8-10 servings

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds raw greens such as fresh organic baby spinach, Swiss chard, collard, kale (or their frozen chopped versions, thawed and well drained)
• 4 large onions, sliced or chopped
• 1 bunch chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch chopped Italian parsley
• 1 bunch chopped dill**
• 4 or 5 eggs
• 1/2 pound rinsed feta cheese, cut into small cubes or crumbled
• 1/2 pound cottage cheese (I use organic, unsalted, low-fat cottage cheese, when available) or Farmer’s cheese or 5 ounces (about 2 cups) finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Ground pepper to taste (salt is optional)***
• Greek seasoning: Dried dill, mint, oregano, parsley, onion

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash greens well, drain, and shake or blot dry with towel.
3. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and scallions and saute until softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Add greens in batches, stirring until they become wilted.
5. Squeeze and drain liquid from skillet and allow to cool.
6. Stir in parsley, dill and pepper.
7. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Combine beaten eggs, feta, and cottage cheese. Add to the greens/onion/herb mixture and stir to combine.
8. Grease one shallow 3-quart baking dish or two 2-quart baking dishes with butter or olive oil.
9. Pour in the spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 60 minutes, until top begins to brown and spanakopita is bubbling all around.
10. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares.
11. Spanakopita is also delicious when served cold.

*Kefalotyri, or kefalotiri, is a very hard, salty, yellow cheese made from sheep milk and/or goat milk in Greece and Cyprus. It vaguely resembles Gruyere in taste, except it is harder and saltier. A popular, well-known cheese, Kefalotyri is widely believed to be the ancestor of hard cheeses in Greece with a history that dates back to the Byzantine era. Kefalotyri is used along with feta in many recipes for Spanakopita, where the recipe says to substitute romano or parmesan, if kefalotyri cannot be obtained. A similar cheese, Kefalograviera (also made from sheep and/or goat milk), is sometimes sold outside Greece and Cyprus as Kefalotyri. Young kefalotiri is aged for at least 2 months and has a milder flavor than aged cheese. The longer kefalotyri is aged, the stronger its flavor becomes. Substitutes for kefalotiri cheese are hard cheeses such as Romano or Parmesan, both of which have a similar sharp flavor and dry texture.

**Fresh herbs: Dill, fennel, parsley, mint, whatever you have or prefer; Italian parsley and dill are more traditional, but I’ve used various combinations, chopped finely, & all have worked.

***Cottage cheese, feta cheese, Kefalotiri, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese all contain salt. Feta retains much salt, even after being rinsed!