During the holidays I’m always looking for easy appetizers that leave me time to spend with those who matter but still satisfy my taste buds.
We have two phyllo fillings to get to and both of these recipes make about 90 triangles and these are great because you can even make them ahead of your holiday party and freeze them for up to one month. Later you can bake from frozen as long as you increase the cook time.
INGREDIENTS
- 300g Frozen leaf spinach, thawed
- Half 250g Cream cheese brick at room temperature
- 2 Green onions Finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Chopped fresh dill or parsley
- 1/8 tbsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Crumbled feta
- 1 box (454g) Phyllo pastry (thawed)
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted
Chèvre and Cranberry Bites
- 300g log Plain goat cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves Chopped
- 1 box (454 g) Phyllo pastry Thawed
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted
METHOD
To make the spanakopita you will need to:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
- For the filling, put the spinach in a colander, then squeeze as much liquid as possible from it (squeeze handfuls of it as hard as you can).
- Combine the spinach with the cream cheese, onions, dill or parsley and salt in a large bowl and stir very well until combined (you can do this with an electric mixer if you prefer).
- Stir in the feta. Reserve.
For the second filling:
- Stir the goat cheese, cranberry sauce and thyme together until well combined. Reserve.
- Place one sheet of phyllo on the counter in landscape orientation, then brush it lightly with butter using a natural bristle brush, covering the entire surface lightly.
- Place another sheet on top and brush lightly with butter.
- Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the stack into 8 long ribbons.
- At this point, you should have defrosted phyllo. You can thaw it in the package overnight in the
fridge. - Place one sheet of defrosted phyllo on the counter in landscape orientation, then brush it
lightly with butter using a natural bristle brush, covering the entire surface lightly. - Place another sheet on top and brush lightly with butter. Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the
stack into 8 long ribbons. - Place a teaspoon of the mixture at the bottom of each ribbon, then fold up into a triangle.
- Place on the prepared sheet and brush with butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling.
- Bake for 12 to 17 minutes or until the triangles are deeply golden. Cool to room temperature on
a rack.
