Balkan Filo Cheese Pie for Your Holiday Table

Filo pastries, both sweet and savory, are an integral part of many Balkan and Mediterranean cuisines.  This Balkan Filo Cheese Pie is a delicious and popular dish made of layers of crispy filo pastry filled with a mixture of Feta cheese, yogurt and beaten eggs.  It is very easy to assemble and it is a beautiful and unusual appetizer for any holiday gathering.

Many countries in the southern Balkans and eastern Mediterranean have their own modified variations of this delectable dish:  in Greece, it is called tiropita, in Turkey it is called borek, and in Bulgaria and Serbia it is known as banitsa.  Local variations of this dish are also plentiful; sometimes this pita is arranged in a spiral shape inside a round pan, sometimes it is made as a single-serving filo pastry, or, often the filo rolls are baked in a large rectangular pan.

No matter what the shape or the country of origin, this is a very popular dish throughout the region.  It is often sold at the bakeries and is a favorite breakfast choice or quick lunch break treat!

Essential Ingredients for the Balkan Filo Cheese Pie

Few recipes have such a short list of ingredients, so the quality of those ingredients is very important and make all the difference:

1. Filo Pastry – my favorite is Fillo Factory’s organic filo in the standard 13″x18″ size. The very high quality of this filo makes working with it a breeze
2. Feta Cheese – always Greek Feta preserved in brine.  Greek Feta is made with sheep’s milk which gives it its great tangy and distinctive flavor
3. Yogurt – Greek Yogurt, 2% – no need to strain it.  It is creamy and delicious as is!
4. Eggs – large size, free-range eggs
5. Butter – I use salted butter for all my savory recipes
6. Sea salt, Pepper and Baking soda

How to Make the Balkan Filo Cheese Pie in 4 Easy Steps

• Gather all the ingredients.  Mix together the Feta, eggs, yogurt and seasoning to prepare the Feta mixture
• Spread some Feta cheese mixture over two layers of buttered filo pastry

• Roll the filo into a log, enclosing the Feta filling

• Place the filo logs into a prepared baking pan

• Bake until puffy and golden brown!

A few tips for the perfect cheese filo pie

• Do not forget to thaw your frozen filo before using, either by placing it in the refrigerator overnight, or, at room temperature for about two hours before working with it
• Do  not take the filo out of its package before everything is prepped. Filo dries out quickly, so make sure to cover it well while you are assembling the filo rolls
• If the filo tears a bit, it is not a big deal, as the tears will be hardly visible at the end
• The addition of baking soda makes the filling light and the pastry puffy as it bakes.  This is a result of the reaction with the acidity of the yogurt
• If you want the filo rolls to be soft, brush the tops with some more melted butter.  If you prefer them crispy, brush with a little olive oil
• Once removed from the oven, set this dish aside for about 10 – 15 minutes to allow it to rest before cutting the logs into smaller pieces and serving

Variations and how to serve it

In this version, and mostly common in the Balkans, the filling consists of the local equivalent of Feta cheese, eggs and yogurt. The Greek version does not include yogurt, has even more Feta and very few eggs.  Another delicious filling is a sweet one, which is also perfect for this time of the year:  it is made by replacing the cheese and egg mixture with cooked and puréed butternut squash, ground walnuts, some sugar and cinnamon.

Once the tray of Baked Filo Cheese Pie emerges from your oven, the aroma is intoxicating and it is truly hard to resist stealing a couple of pieces.  Unless you are planning on serving them as an appetizer for your next gathering, this dish makes for a wonderful vegetarian meal next to a crisp salad with your favorite greens or some fall roasted vegetables.

This is a recipe that will not disappoint and so worth making, as it is absolutely foolproof even for those least experienced in the kitchen! Given how easy this is to make, it will be a great addition to a seasonal holiday buffet as it can feed a small crowd of your hungry guests!

This recipe is a collaboration with Fillo Factory. You can find their filo dough as well as puff pastry at Whole Foods and several small local stores.  I love the quality of the Fillo Factory products and I always make sure to stash a couple of boxes in the freezer!

Balkan Filo Cheese Pie for Your Holiday Table

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

A traditional filo cheese pie, very popular in the Balkans, made with Feta cheese, yogurt and eggs. It’s perfect for breakfast or as a snack and it’s best enjoyed warm!

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Balkan/Mediterranean

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz. Greek Feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1lb. package filo pastry (I used organic Fillo Factory)
• 3-4 oz. butter
• 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 360℉.
2. Remove the filo pastry from the refrigerator (where it should be thawed from the night before). Place it on the counter, but do not open the package until your filling is ready.
3. Crumble the Greek Feta with a fork and set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and then mix in the yogurt, salt, pepper and baking soda. Add the Feta cheese into the egg mixture.
4. Melt the butter and allow it to cool. Brush some of the melted butter on the bottom and sides of an oven-safe 9” x 13” baking sheet. Remove the filo sheets from the package and place them on a clean surface. Keep them covered with a piece of plastic and a kitchen towel, while you work with each filo sheet.
5. Spread one sheet of filo on the counter in front of you, with the narrower side facing you. Brush some of the melted butter over the sheet (it does not have to cover the entire filo). Top the sheet with a second one and lightly butter it as well. Spoon some of the Feta mixture (about ½ cup) over the top filo layer and spread it around. Lift the edge that is closest to you and roll it away from you, enclosing the filling and forming a little log. Repeat this with more filo to create five filo rolls in total.
6. Spread one sheet of filo on the buttered pan, scrunching it as needed to cover the base of the pan. Lightly brush it with some butter. Place the five filo rolls on top of that one sheet of filo lengthwise, each touching the other. Brush the top with some olive oil and transfer in the oven.
7. Bake in the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, or, until it is golden brown and puffed over the top of the pan. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing each log into bite-sized pieces. Enjoy!

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