Comforting, crunchy, buttery and salty are perfect words to describe our latest recipe! Warm up this November with our Squash and Feta Fillo Pie, featuring silky smooth butternut squash, flaky golden fillo and our premium feta cheese. Follow along for this family favourite in the making.
First off, start with thawed Krinos fillo sheets and also have a small saucepan with about 4 tbsp. of melted butter and a brush ready to go. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Gently unroll the fillo sheets onto a clean work surface and place a damp towel on top to prevent the fillo from drying out. It should be noted that fillo tends to dry out quickly so be prepared with all ingredients ready to go before you open the package to avoid this happening.
Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, ceramic flan dish or similar vessel with 2 sheets of fillo stacked on top of each other. Brush with melted butter and repeat the process twice more, offsetting the fillo by a third each time and trim any overhang. You should have coverage of the bottom and sides of the dish. This should look comforting and rustic, so don’t worry about being perfect here!
On a clean work surface, arrange one remaining fillo sheet with the longest edge closest to you and pleat it accordion-style at about 1inch intervals. Repeat this with the last 2 sheets. Go back to your prepared dish and starting in the centre of it, coil one of the pleated strips from the middle of the dish outward, leaving about a half inch of space between the coiled rows. Take the next strip and start from the end of the first and continue moving outward. Repeat by taking the next strip and starting at the end of the last and you should see the coils cover the bottom of the dish by the end. Brush with remaining butter to get good coverage on the fillo and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside once cooked and keep your oven on. Now onto the fillings.
Coarsely grated squash is used for the filling, you can use a food processor, chopper, or box grater to achieve this, it will make it easier for the squash to become soft and luscious! In a medium skillet, combine the 1 ½ cups of grated butternut squash with ½ cup water and 1 tbsp of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste (cayenne pepper if you like it spicy!) and simmer on low heat covered for 8-10 minutes until soft and set aside to cool.
Now onto the part that makes this super creamy and comforting! In a separate bowl, whisk together 5 eggs, 1 cup of half & half cream, ¼ tsp of ground nutmeg and 1 tbsp of chopped fresh or dried thyme, also season this mixture with salt and pepper to taste. With multiple fillings and layers it is important to season each step of the way to ensure maximum flavour throughout!
To assemble the finished pie, dollop the squash mixture between the fillo coils with a good coverage so you get squash in every bite! Then pour the egg mixture around to fill. Scatter with as much crumbled feta as you like – we like a lot! – and bake for 25 minutes or until set. When set, the egg mixture should no longer be liquid. Once baked through, let cool slightly to help filling set even further. Slice and enjoy!
This amazing Squash & Feta fillo Pie is a seasonal wonder, a comforting meal for a quick dinner but also exciting enough for entertaining. Definitely a must-try!
Click here to discover the recipe.