Beef and Spinach Spanakopita

Every year by the end of August it feels like there is an urgency to get to fall. Everyone is decorating and talking about it. However, I for one happen to love late summer and I have no intention of cutting its celebration short. August and early September is when summer produce is at its peak. It’s this magical time in cooking when summer corn, tomatoes, squash, okra and berries are at their sweetest. My garden is currently bursting with tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs. I have now taken to sharing them with friends. We can’t possibly eat it all but that hasn’t stopped me from trying.

Large Greek salads are a mainstay at my house this time of year. So, I thought I would share my recipe for beef and spinach spanakopita. It’s delicious any time of year, but it happens to be a wonderful main dish to serve with all those fabulous late summer salads.

Beef and Spinach Spanakopita -makes 14

• 1 (10 ounce) container or two small (5oz) bags baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ¼ pounds ground beef or lamb
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 (8oz) block of feta cheese, diced
• 1 large egg
• 1 package of phyllo dough (12×17 sized), defrosted
• 10 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

First sauté the fresh spinach. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add about half of the spinach to the pan and then stir and allow it to cook down for a minute or so before adding the rest of the spinach. Cook the spinach for and additional 2 minutes and add in ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Then remove the spinach from the pan and allow it to cool while cooking the meat filling.

Using the same skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Then add the onion and cook it until it just begins to turn translucent. Then add in the garlic and the ground beef. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and continue to cook until the meat is browned and cooked through. Pour off any grease from the meat filling mixture and place it in a large mixing bowl.

Next, drain the cooled spinach. Place the cooked spinach in a metal strainer and layer several paper towels on top. Press the paper towels down to help squeezed the moisture out of the spinach.

Then add the spinach to the meat filling. Complete the filling by mixing in the Parmesan, feta, nutmeg, and the egg. Mix well to makes sure it is evenly combined.

Now assemble the spanakopita. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a baking mat or clean work surface with the long side facing towards you. Then lightly brush the sheet with butter and sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs over the top. Then add a second layer and repeat the process of brushing on the butter and crumbs.

Place a final third layer of phyllo on top and the cut the sheet in half lengthwise. Add a rounded 1/3 of a cup of the filling mixture to the top of the two short sides and roll the phyllo over at a diagonal to form a triangle.

Continue to fold back and forth at a diagonal creating a triangle that completely covers the filling inside. Once you reach the bottom brush a little more butter on the last triangle to seal up the pastry.

Place the finished spanakopita on a parchment paper lined baking pan with the seam side down. And brush the top with butter. Then continue this process until all of the filing is used. Bake for 25 minutes until the phyllo is golden brown.

Fourteen pastries may sound like at lot but they are so tasty that they have a way of disappearing quickly. I find that depending on how hungry you are, I would plan for about 2 to 3 spanakopitas per person for a dinner sized portion. These pastries reheat well in the toaster oven. They can also be made in advance. Just skip the final brushing of the melted butter on top until you are ready to bake them and wrap the unbaked pasties in plastic wrap before freezing them.

One bite of these flakey beef and spinach spanakopita and a big greek salad will surly have you hanging on to every last delicious moment of this late summer season.