Tiropita – Traditional Greek Cheese Pie
Tiropita, commonly referred to as Greek cheese pie, is a popular dish in Greece and is eaten for breakfast or as a mid-day snack. Although this dish is relatively easy to make, it does take some patience as you will be working with phyllo dough.
To prepare tiropita, simply crumble feta cheese (and mix it with other kinds of cheese if desired such as Anthotyros) and mix it with an egg. Wrap the whole thing in phyllo pastry, brush it with olive oil or melted butter, and bake until crispy and golden!
Please find the full tiropita recipe below.
Traditional Tiropita – Greek Cheese Pie
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 500 gr feta cheese
- 250 gr fresh anthotiro or ricotta
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 phyllo sheets
- white sesame seeds
Instructions
How to Make Traditional Tiropita, Greek Cheese Pie:
- Preheat the oven at 350 F (180 C).
- Grease a 9X13 inch (25X35 cm) casserole or pan with olive oil.
- In a large bowl smash the feta and anthotiro (or ricota) with a fork.
- Add the mint, dill and pepper and mix.
- In a small bowl beat the eggs and add them to the cheese mixture along with one tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well.
- Prepare your working area so that you have space to spread the phyllo.
- Remove your first phyllo sheet carefully and spread it on the bottom of the pan. If it is too big you can scrunch it to fit. Brush with olive oil.
- Place the second phyllo on top of the first phyllo and brush with olive oil and continue until you have spread 6 sheets of phyllo.
- Spread the cheese mixture over the phyllo making sure it is spread evenly.
- Cover with 5-6 more phyllo sheets repeating the same process (i.e. brushing with olive oil). Make sure that you do not scrunch the final 2-3 phyllo sheets.
- Brush the top layer with olive oil and score. Cut only through the phyllo (not all the way down).
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, splash a bit of water on top with your fingers and place in the oven.
- Bake for about 40 minutes. Lift side slightly to make sure the bottom is baked. Place on the bottom of the oven for another 5 minutes.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes and cut in pieces.
- It's delicious when served warm, but you can also eat it at room temperature.
Notes
To learn more about local cheeses, check out our story on the most popular Greek cheeses.
Related: Greek Spinach & Cheese Pie (Spanakotiropita)
Related: Hortopita: Greek Greens Pie