Creamy Spinach and Feta Pie

I love creamy spinach and feta pie.  It is just such an awesome comfort food.

For some unknown reason I have been craving this pie, so I just had to give into my cravings and just make the pie!

The first time I had a spinach pie, was years ago in a pub…yes, I did actually venture out to pubs now and then (usually with work colleagues). You know we used to have our best meetings in pubs, I kid you not….  Anyway that was then and this is now, and the now, is that I cannot recreate that pie to perfection. That pub does not even exist anymore, so I can’t even sweet talk the chef for his recipe 😦 .  All I can say, is that it was creamy, and delicious and it was served with mashed potatoes. Big whoop ! I know…. so frustrating…..

Anyway, so this is my version of the pie, as best as I can get it.  It is creamy, and it is delicious and I just adore the thick puff pastry which I just plonked on the top….and between you and me…I don’t even think the mashed potato is necessary (I just serve this with a load of other veggies).  But, you try it, and judge for yourself, if you want the mash, go for it. 🙂

Creamy Spinach and Feta Pie

Preparation time:  10 minutes

Cooking time:  20 – 30 minutes

Total time:  30 – 40 minutes

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry (approximately 400 grams)

1 bunch fresh spinach, de-veined and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

plus, a little butter to saute the onion

1 x beaten egg for basting the pastry top

White Sauce:

100 gram butter

100 gram flour

3 cups milk

4 feta cheese disc’s (approximately 400 g feta cheese)

250 gram fresh cream

salt and pepper

ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Cook spinach your desired way.  I microwaved mine for 1 minute, drained.

Then, blitz in a food processor.

Squeeze out any excess water.  (From one bunch of spinach, you should have approximately 200/225 gram chopped, processed and cooked spinach)

Saute the diced onion in a little butter.

Now, to do the white sauce:

Add the butter into a medium-sized pot, over a medium heat.  Melt the butter. Take the pot off the stove and add the flour.  With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the melted butter well.  It will  eventually all smooth out and form like a ball effect.  Then place back onto medium heat and gradually add the milk, a little at a time (I usually do from a half to a full cup at a time), continuously stir, it will thicken and again will collect onto the wooden spoon, After one cup of milk, then add the crumbled feta, add a little more milk, and continue this way until the milk is finished.  Add the cream and spinach. Taste. Then season well, and taste again.  Add a good amount of nutmeg. Taste again.

Place the spinach mixture into pie dish and top with puff pastry.

Using a basting brush, brush the top of the pastry with a little beaten egg.

Place pie on a baking tray and put in a preheated oven until golden brown.

Enjoy 🙂

 

NB*  This Creamy Spinach and Feta Pie can easily be made Gluten-Free, by using a Gluten-Free pastry