It’s a sunny day here in Baltimore, and like most days, I have more on my list than I can count. That’s why I love recipes that save time without cutting corners. This one is especially close to my heart: my mother-in-law Maria’s Spanakopita. A Greek classic, beloved by everyone who tastes it.
Memories in the Kitchen
I’ve always been an early riser, just like my mom. She was up before dawn, cooking and working through chores long before the summer heat made her tiny kitchen unbearable. We didn’t have air conditioning, but somehow she kept the house running — and always with food on the table.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of lying in bed, listening to her move through the house. I’d hear the basement door slam as she carried laundry outside to hang on the line. Then, before the sun rose, the smell of breakfast would drift through my window.
On Saturdays she’d set a small card table on the back deck with a linen cloth, fresh flowers, and orange juice served in wine glasses. Breakfast might include warm Spanakopita, scrambled eggs with feta, sticky buns, hot dogs, and halved grapefruits sprinkled with sugar. She even had bamboo-handled grapefruit spoons — I still have one, and I treasure it.
Years later, I tried to recreate that same feeling for my own children. Our house was bigger, and it quickly became the gathering place for their friends. Saturday breakfasts sometimes meant a dozen boys coming down the stairs at once. The linens gave way to placemats, and plastic plates often replaced glass, but the food stayed true to my mom’s table: sticky buns, scrambled eggs with feta, bacon, hot dogs, and of course, Spanakopita. Over time, I added my own touches, like Spanakopita quiche or tropical fruit salads with a coconut–mango glaze. These breakfasts became our tradition, just as my mom’s had been mine.
Why Spanakopita Stands Out
I’ve been catering for more than 30 years, raised in a Greek household but trained with an American culinary education. Out of all the dishes I make, Spanakopita is the one that gets requested the most — often by non-Greek clients who’ve fallen in love with it.
Every Greek family has its own way of making it, with small variations depending on where they come from. Some use fresh spinach, others frozen. Some insist on green onions, others on sweet onions. Some swear by olive oil, others by butter. In the end, it’s a matter of tradition and taste.
Here, I share the version that combines what I learned from my mom, my mother-in-law, and years of professional experience.
Recipe: Spanakopita in Phyllo
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 pans (about 120 appetizer-size pieces)
Ingredients
- 2 (16 oz) bags frozen chopped spinach
- 2 medium Vidalia onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill (or 3 tbsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated nutmeg (or 2 tsp ground)
- 6 eggs
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups crumbled domestic feta
- Salt and black pepper to taste (the cheeses are salty, so taste first)
- 1 package phyllo dough (18 sheets)
- 2 sticks butter, melted
Ingredient Notes:
- Vidalia onions add sweetness; green onions don’t add much here.
- Butter gives richer flavor than olive oil and prevents greasiness.
- Frozen spinach works just as well as fresh and saves time.
- Fresh or dried dill both work; I use whichever looks best at the market.
- Freshly grated nutmeg adds depth — worth the extra step.
Instructions
- Cook the filling:
- Sauté onions and dill in butter over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook until the moisture is gone.
- Stir in pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Mix the cheeses:
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, feta, and eggs.
- Add the cooled spinach mixture and blend well.
- Assemble:
- Unroll the phyllo stack with the short end facing you.
- Butter the top sheet, then layer two more sheets on top.
- Place a line of filling along the short edge and roll into a log.
- Set seam-side down in a buttered baking pan.
- Repeat with remaining filling.
- Finish and bake:
- Brush the tops of the logs generously with butter.
- Score diagonally, as you would for baklava.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for about 45 minutes, until golden brown.
Serving and Storage
This recipe fills four disposable foil pans (12¼ × 8¼ × 1¼ inches). They’re perfect for freezing, baking, or bringing to a party without cleanup.
When baked and sliced, the rolls reveal their green spinach filling from the sides — a beautiful presentation for catering, holidays, or family brunch. You can use the same method for Tyropita, the cheese-only version.
Whether you’re making one pan for your family or four for a party, this Spanakopita will be a hit every time. I’m so grateful to my mother-in-law, Maria, for passing on her recipe — and her clever shortcut method — which has saved me countless hours in the kitchen while keeping the tradition alive.