I live in the UK and I consider Greggs to be a British institution, although some may debate this. Growing up, having a cheese and onion pasty after school every Friday at 2.30pm with 2 of my besties was almost a right of passage. The thing I loved the most was the crispy, flaky puff pastry combined with the cheesy oniony filling. Ah – fond memories! I also have many fond memories of eating (devouring) spanakopita at least every day during my many trips to Greece and the Greek islands over the years. So here’s a recipe combining the 2 resulting in a Greggs inspired spanakopita with puff pastry. Naturally, this recipe is easy, healthier and absolutely delicious.
What is a spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a savoury Greek dish, typically a pie, made with thin crispy filo pastry (think baklava pastry) and a healthy delicious filling of feta cheese, herbs and spinach. However, this recipe uses puff pastry, and it is made in the shape of a pasty after being inspired by the Greggs cheese and onion pasty from my childhood memories. It’s far easier to eat on the go and I find that it is far more family friendly in this shape rather than a slice of pie.
What is Greggs?
Greggs is a British bakery chain that specialises in sweet and savoury products. It is headquartered in the north of England.
What does the Greggs inspired spanakopita with puff pastry taste like?
Buttery, flaky goodness with a tangy savoury spinach-y with a herby onion flavour. You’re in for a treat! The best thing is that this is far healthier than any shop bought recipe due to the higher vegetable content and control over the salt content. It’s best served warm but can be eaten cold in hot weather.
What ingredients does this spanakopita with puff pastry require?
This recipe contains feta cheese, plenty of spinach, onions, herbs, egg for binding and the final wash and last but not least, puff pastry. Traditionally, spanakopitas are made with filo pastry. However, as this is a Greggs inspired version puff pastry is used in this recipe. Also, puff pastry is readily available in most grocery stores and it’s much easier to handle than filo pastry.
When should I make and eat spanakopita?
You can make spanakopita for lunch, a light dinner or even as a snack. Whatever you like – there are no hard and fast rules. Spanakopita makes a great side dish for large family dinners. You can eat this as the main dish, serving it with a big salad like this Summer Superfood Salad.
It’s so easy to make and the end result looks very professional considering the little effort this takes. But let’s keep this as our little secret – hehe!
How long does this keep for?
This Greggs inspired spanakopita keeps for 1-2 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer if frozen.
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments below and/or tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!
Greggs Inspired Spanakopita With Puff Pastry
Equipment
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 Tin foil/aluminium foil
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Knife
- 1 Fork
- 1 Cheese cloth or colander
- 1 Egg wash brush
Materials
- 1 roll Puff pastry (store bought)
- 150 grams Spinach (fresh of frozen)
- 1 small Onion
- 90 grams Feta cheese
- 1 medium Egg
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Oregano
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to the temperature shown on the packaging of your puff pastry.
- Heat olive oil in a pan on the hob and add finely diced onions. Sauté until slightly golden.
- To the pan, add oregano and spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Remove the pan from the hob.
- Remove the mixture from the pan and use a cheese cloth or colander to remove as much moisture/liquid as possible.
- Crack open an egg into a bowl and whisk. Remove enough into another container to brush the puff pastry later. Add the spinach/onion mixture to the whisked egg in the bowl. To this, crumble your feta cheese into this and combine all ingredients.
- Roll out your puff pastry and mark up squares, 2 for each pasty, depending on how big or small you want them. One square will be the top and one will be the bottom of the pasty. Once you've marked these out, add mixture to the bottom part of each pasty. Mould the filling into a square as seen in the photo above. Ensure you don't overfill as this will cause the pasty to be soggy.
- Place the top square on top of the square with the filling and seal the edges with your fingers. Ensure this is firmly sealed so the filling doesn't leak when baking. Use a fork to press down around the square – to replicate the vertical lines as seen in the photos above.
- With the small amount of whisked egg set aside from earlier, brush the top of each pasty with the egg. This will help the pasty achieve a golden crust and seal the pasty.
- Place the pasties on a baking tray lined with tin foil and place into the oven for approximately 10-15mins. The time will vary depending on how big your squares are. Bake them for at least 10 mins and return to the oven the check on the pastry to see if this has puffed/risen.
- Remove from the oven and allow the spanakopitas to cool for 10 mins then enjoy!
Notes
- Follow the instructions of your store bought puff pastry as this will vary by brand.
- Be sure not to overfill each spanakopita otherwise this is likely to leak while baking in the oven.
- Ensure that most of the moisture is removed prior to adding it to the puff pastry. Otherwise, you will have soggy spanakopitas.
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