Recipe of the Month

Anna’s Tiropita (Greek Cheese Pie)

Shopping List

• 1  (9/12 x13 x2 inch) pan
• 1 box  Phyllo Dough (approximately 20 sheets of dough)
• 2 stiks of unsalted butter (wide painting brush for buttering the layers)
• 2 cups  crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1 cup  Larg. Cottage Cheese
• 1 ½ cup Ricotta
• 3 eggs
• 3 Table spoons olive oil
• Chopped Parsely or cinlantro  (optional)

Helpful Hints

1. Be sure to take your fillo dough out of the freezer  and place into fridge the night before preparing and take out of fridge one hour before making your Tiropita.
2. Clarified your butter.
1.  Melt  butter over low heat until it foams. Remove foam, allow milk solids to settle to the bottom and discard .  This will give you a better quality of butter.
3. When layering your Tiropita be sure to fold in the sides into the  pan to prevent the feta mixture from spilling out on to the sides . You should do this towarads the end.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Wrap it Up!!

In a large mixing bowl combine feta -cottage cheese and riccota.  With a fork mash together the three cheeses but be carefull not to puree them.  You still want  small chunks of feta but well combined.  Add, parsely , olive oil and eggs.  Again with a fork slowly mix the ingredients.  Set your feta cheese mixture aside.

Take the phyllo dough out of the package and cover with plastic or wax paper. lay a damp kitchen towel over  that  to prevent it from drying while you prepare the  Tiropita.Handling your Phyllo quickly is the key!

Brush a layer of melted butter onto the pan and begin layering your phyllo. Be sure to brush a layer of butter on each sheet of phyllo dough so that the Tiropita is crisp and flaky.

Seven layers on bottom, spread half of the feta mixture , three layers of phyllo in the middle and then add the rest of your feta mixture .  The top of the Tiropida should have ten phyllo dough layers.  Using a razor or carving knife cut into a few layers of the phyllo to form your squares.. You  should have  a total of 12 generous pieces 3×3 inches each.    Be sure to butter the top of  the Tiropita and bake for about 45 -50  minutes.The Tiropita should have a golden color and will rise a little.  Once  your Tiropita is baked, let it cool for about 20 minutes before cutting into.

****Something my father and I love doing is sprinkling cinnamon and sugar over the warm Tiropita.  İt really is a nice treat.

Good luck! and if you have any questions you know where to find me!!

Thank you for joining me with my Recipe of the Month!

Anna