We are spending the last few weeks of summer vacation visiting family and it’s unbelievable to think that school is starting in less than a month. My older one is starting kindergarten this fall (that reality hasn’t quite hit me yet) while my younger one will have another year of preschool. Back-to-school shopping has been slipping from my mind, but my sister snaps me back to reality when she mentions new backpacks or shoes for my nephew, and then I have to conjure up motivation again to look at winter jackets and lunchboxes because by September everything is backordered.
I also start to rethink the kids’ lunches and try to add more options beyond the 4 to 5 dishes that I rotate through. I get super motivated the first couple of weeks – trying different meals, prepping the night before – then the mojo is gone and I slip back to the same old menus. I mean, the meals are good and my kids aren’t complaining, but variety is not a bad thing.
Spanakopita or spinach pies are a mainstay in my kids’ lunchboxes. They are awesome. The kids love them, no need for utensils, and they are (generally) healthy. We buy the Whole Foods brand of frozen spanakopita. Heat them up in the morning and they’re done. They are still great at room-temperature. The only downside is that they are made with phyllo dough so by the time they dig into lunch the nice flaky crust has deflated into a not-so-flaky crust. Not that the kids really mind or anything.
Knowing that spinach is one vegetable they love and just adoring the idea of an easy-to-make hand-held meal, I set out to make my own homemade version. I’ve made spanakopita before using the Cook’s Illustrated recipe and the kids loved it, but working with the phyllo dough was a tedious process. I turned to Serious Eats (one of my go-to recipe websites) to see what they had for spinach pie options. I also took a peek at the list of ingredients on the back of the Whole Foods box to see if I could replicate the filling.
I also followed the tip of using store-bought pastry dough instead of the phyllo dough and the results were pretty good and so much easier to work with than phyllo. You are welcome to make your own dough, but I like to save time where I can!
I LOVED how these pies turned out! Granted the single serving size is more for an adult than for my kids, but that can easily be adjusted by cutting a smaller square. I really love the tang from the cream cheese and the zip from the lemon zest. AND they can be made ahead of time and frozen for later consumption. Truth be told, however, my 4 and almost-6 year old reacted with a resounding “Ewwwwww! I only want to eat the cruuuuust!” But I figure I can condition them to love it like I do with all things green and edible! And if that doesn’t work, more for mom and dad!
Greek-style Spinach Hand Pies #SundaySupper
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound baby spinach
- 6-8 ounces of feta cheese room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 egg
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano OR dried dill
- Flour for dusting
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Raise the heat to medium-high. Add spinach and another pinch of salt. Cook spinach until very tender but not too mushy. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside. We want the spinach to cool down until it is easy to handle.
- In a large-sized bowl, mix together the feta cheese, cream cheese, egg, lemon zest, nutmeg, and dried herbs. Mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Once the spinach has cooled, transfer the spinach into the bowl with cheese. It is best to use tongs. Give it a gentle squeeze to get rid of some of the excess liquid before transferring into the cheese bowl. It's not critical that you squeeze the spinach dry.
- Once the all the spinach is transferred. Mix the spinach and cheese together until thoroughly combined. Set aside in the refrigerator. The mixture will be easier to handle if it's chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and adjust the rack to middle position.
- Now we're ready to work with the puff pastry dough. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with white flour. Roll out the puff pastry dough into a 10- by 8-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into equal quarters or 4 equal rectangles.
- With a fork, pierce the dough a few times. Take the bowl of spinach and cheese from the refrigerator. Scoop about a heaping 1/4 cup of the spinach & cheese mixture onto each rectangle of dough and fold over the dough in half. To seal the edges, either crimp the edges with the back of a fork OR fold the edges over and press. The latter method is a better seal, but the former is prettier. You choose! Make a few small slashes through the pastry across the top of the pie.
- Line a large baking sheet with a sheet of parchment. Bake the pies on the baking sheet until pastry is well-browned, about 30 minutes.
- If you are not baking the pies right away, lay the pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for several hours. Once frozen, transfer the pies into a large zip-top food storage bag. Thaw the pies overnight in the refrigerator when you're ready to bake them. Follow step 9.
- Serve hand pies warm or at room temperature.
Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake is our host for this week’s Lunchbox #SundaySupper. Here’s what everyone else is packing in their brown bag lunch:
Sandwiches, Wraps and Entrees:
- Baked Ham and Cheese Rolls from Big Bear’s Wife
- Balsamic Butter Beans with Smoked Sausage and Spinach from Eat, Move, Shine
- British Bento Lunch Box from Ninja Baking
- Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread “Sushi” from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Greek-style Spinach Hand Pies from Kimchi MOM
- Homemade Uncrustables from Treats & Trinkets
- Indian Spiced Chicken Meatball Wraps from Soni’s Food
- Madam Wong’s Pizza Rolls from Food Lust People Love
- Malibu Chicken Tortilla Pinwheels from Home Cooking Memories
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Rolls from Killer Bunnies, Inc
- Pizzadillas from La Cocina de Leslie
- Popcorn Chicken Bento from The Urban Mrs
- Potato Mushroom and Cheese Focaccia from Family Foodie
- Sausage Roll Ups from The Food Army Wife
- Scotch Eggs from My Cute Bride
- Stawberry and Chicken Pasta Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette from Table for Seven
- Turkey, Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps from La Bella Vita Cucina
Munchies, Salads and Sides:
- Almond Citrus Salad from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
- Banana Bread Muffins from Curious Cuisiniere
- Best Basic Hummus from Supper for a Steal
- Blueberries & Cream Granola from The Messy Baker
- Blueberry Egg Bagels from What Smells So Good?
- Cheese Cracker Recipe from Growing Up Gabel
- Creamy Orzo & Peas {Dairyfree} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Mini Griddle Cakes from Noshing with the Nolands
- Quinoa and Green Bean Salad with Tibetan Dressing from Healthy. Delicious.
Sweet Treats:
- Biscoff White Chocolate Blondies from Cookin’ Mimi
- Caramel and Rolo Rice Krispie Treats from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Cinnamon Zucchini Brownies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars from Alida’s Kitchen
- Cookie Butter Granola Bites from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- “Free” Brownies from Jane’s Adventure in Dinner
- Honey Oat Bars from Magnolia Days
- No Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Cookies from Pies and Plots
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies from Peanut Butter and Peppers
And remember that we have a #SundaySupper chat at 7 PM each on Sunday evening. We tweet throughout the day using the hashtag #SundaySupper, then we all gather to share ideas, recipes and answer questions from 7-8 PM ET. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest Board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? You can sign up here: Sunday Supper Movement
Your spinach hand pies look as if they belong in a gourmet magazine, Amy. Gorgeous! And my mouth waters to think about all the lovely feta cheese mingling with the spinach in puff pastry. Yum!
Oh, yeah! These spinach hand pies look extraordinary, Amy. I LOVE that they’re made with puff pastry vs. filo, too…so much easier!
Spanakopita is one of my favorite dishes ever. I LOVE that these use puff pastry, since I kind of despise working with phyllo. I’m definitely going to have to make these for my lunch box!
What a wonderful combination of flavors! I love the addition of the nutmeg!
These look awesome! I love Spinach Pie, but hand held pies are even better!
I my, these look amazing! I can imagine how nice and crunchy the crust is, and what a nice, rich filling!
I’m making Spanakopita this week for dinner. I love this idea to use puff pastry rather than phyllo, so much easier to work with.
I’d love to find these in my lunchbox, Amy!
oh wow – I could eat this any time of day! I love that you used pie crust so they don’t get soggy.
I couldn’t wait to see this recipe because I love spanikopita. What a great way to make these hand pies with the puff pastry instead of the phyllo sheets. Fantastic lunch and one I could eat for days on end.
They look yummy..would love these for lunch today!
I wonder if they were cooked and cooled to room temp before packed up if they would stay crisp. What an envious lunch box though!
These are beautiful! I love anything w/spinach, and how fun that you found another great use for puff pastry!
My mom LOVES these, can’t wait to try them
I am drooling thinking of how wonderful these would be in a lunchbox, I would never be able to last until noon!!
Yum! What gorgeous hand pies. I love the combination of spinach and cheese, so these would be right up my alley! Definitely giving your recipe a go. Thanks lovely!
These look absolutely scrumptious! I love anything with spinach, feta and, of course, puff pastry 🙂
Oh Yum!!! You can’t go wrong with spinach and feta!
My younger one will start Kindergarten this fall although he’ll be home for lunch!!Its my older one I need some innovative ideas for and love the idea of these spinach pies!!Looks easy enough with Puff Pastry 🙂
It’s my favorite appetizer! And yours look mouthwatering, especially with puff pastry. Yum!
Lol, kids can be such pissers, eh? But that’s totally something I would’ve said as a kid “eeeeewwww, I only want the crust!” Hell, sometimes I say that now, since the crust IS always my fave part of pie 😉 These look fantastic, Ames! I’m with you on using pre-made puff pastry. Who the heck has time to make it from scratch? And despite what I just said, the filling sounds delicious.