That festive time of the year is upon us – a time for friends, family, and FOOD! We gave the classic “chips and dip” a festive and fancy twist with these Sesame-Oregano Fillo Crisps and Spanakopita Dip that will be a hit at every party. The perfect bite is created with crisp, golden layers of flaky fillo, topped with toasted sesame and fragrant oregano and paired with our warm, creamy, spanakopita dip. It couldn’t be easier to create this mouth-watering appetizer, just follow below and look out for notes on how to make ahead of time!
As with most fillo-centered recipes, time is of the essence to keep your fillo from drying out. Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and have a small pot of melted butter with a brush ready. Place a piece of parchment paper, about the size of your baking sheet, on your work surface ready for the fillo. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon each of toasted sesame seeds and dried oregano with ½ teaspoon of salt, set aside. Beat 1 egg white in a small bowl and set aside.
Now that the butter and toppings are ready, unroll the thawed fillo and place 1 sheet on the parchment-prepared work surface. Generously brush fillo with melted butter. Add another layer of phyllo, gently smoothing out any air pockets and brush again with melted butter. Repeat process three more times, but do not use butter on the top sheet. On the top sheet brush on the beaten egg white to ensure the toppings adhere well to the fillo. Sprinkle phyllo evenly with sesame-oregano mixture.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp, non-serrated knife, cut the fillo into 48 pieces (8×6 rectangles). Very carefully bring your sheet pan over and slide the parchment paper with the fillo onto the sheet pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Make-ahead tip: Let crisps cool completely, avoid urge to sneak some, and store in an airtight container for up to three days.
While these crips are delicious on their own, our creamy, cheesy warm spanakopita dip takes them another level up! Preheat your oven to 375°F. Shred 4 ounces of mozzarella and in a separate bowl, crumble 6 ounces of Krinos feta cheese and set aside. Ensure frozen spinach is thawed and all liquid is drained. A kitchen towel or cheesecloth is ideal to place thawed spinach in and wring out all excess liquid into the sink or over a colander, set aside. Next, chop 1 medium yellow onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Now you are ready to get it all together!
Using a sauté pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then the onion and garlic. Cook until softened and onions are light golden brown. Add in the spinach and season with salt and pepper, mix well to combine and remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, add the spinach mixture, half of the mozzarella, the feta and 7 ounces of ricotta cheese. Stir to combine and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 12-14 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve with crisps while still warm! Make-ahead tip: Stop after adding the mozzarella to the top, cover tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake as noted above.
Who says you can’t give the gift of delicious food for the holidays? Your guests will be delighted to dig into the amazing dish prepared for them with layers of love – and crispy, cheesy, buttery goodness! Tag us when you recreate this for your chance to be featured @krinoscanada.
Click here for the full recipe.