Easy Peasy Spinach Filo Pie

It's more like a filo 'lasagne' than a 'pie' coz the ingredients are all layered up, but instead of using pasta sheets, I used filo pastry sheets (which are much much thinner), so I am reluctant to call it a lasagne.

This recipe involves quite a few ingredients and steps - the spinach filling, the bechamel sauce, the construction using filo pastry and cheese, and then the actual baking. Since the filling and sauce can be made in advance, however, plus the fact that the filo pastry can be bought from a store, the actual 'making' of this dish was quite easy and quick.

Easy Peasy Spinach FIlo Pie serves 8

Ingredients

Filling
200grams spinach, frozen or fresh, chopped up and wilted.
200grams cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
1 clove garlic minced
1 shallot minced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
optional - chopped up smoked turkey breasts
salt and pepper to taste
Body
1/2 pack small filo pastry squares
50 grams butter, melted
200grams shredded mozarella cheese

Method

Filling
In a bowl, mix cheese and spinach well, add salt and pepper to taste.
Sauce
In a saucepan, saute minced garlic and shallots in butter till slightly golden. Add the flour and stir until it's golden brown (This is called making the 'roux', a thickening agent). Add in the milk and stock and stir till thick. Add in the meat, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.
Body
Preheat oven to 375degF/190degC.
In a pie pan or casserole dish, arrange one layer of filo pastry squares at the bottom (it's ok to overlap). Brush some butter, then arrange another layer of filo. Spoon 1/3 of sauce over the bottom, then spread 1/3 of the spinach filling. Sprinkle 1/4 of the shredded cheese, then repeat the previous steps - one layer filo, brush with butter, 2nd layer filo, sauce, filling, cheese, until all the filling and sauce is finished. Arrange filo pastry squares that has been brushed with butter to form a lid, preferrably diagonally so that corners stick out like flower petals. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the filo pastry is browned.
Let cool before serving.

You would need a fork and knife to eat this coz the edges is kinda crunchy but the middle is kinda chewy.
My kids didn't like that they could still see the spinach, so maybe next time I'll mince them finer.

Happy Trying! :)