Spinach Pie

$6.48 recipe / $0.81 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.84 from 68 votes
Pin RecipeJump to recipe →

This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

I absolutely love spinach pie. It’s rich, but not quite as heavy as a quiche, it has a deliciously flakey crust, and it works as a savory breakfast, brunch, or just anytime meal. It’s so good that I literally can’t wait to eat the leftovers, even though I know that puff pastry isn’t going to be crispy anymore. It just tastes so good.

Overhead view of a spinach pie in a glass pie dish on a wood countertop

What is Spinach Pie?

This spinach pie is inspired by spanakopita, which is a savory Greek pie made with phyllo dough, feta, and spinach (see an authentic spanakopita recipe here). To make my spinach pie a little easier, I used a couple of short cuts: frozen spinach and frozen puff pastry dough. And then to keep the price on the lower side, I replaced the feta with cottage cheese (totally not similar cheeses, but it works here). The result is fast, easy, and still oh so delicious!

Where to Find Puff Pastry

The puff pastry dough is an important part of this recipe. You can find frozen puff pastry dough near the frozen desserts and frozen pie crusts in most major grocery stores. I used this one from Pepperidge Farm, but if you want to try making your own, check out this recipe for homemade puff pastry from my friend, Christina, at Dessert for Two.

Store-bought puff pastry usually comes in a box of two sheets, with each sheet folded into thirds. You only need one sheet, so save the second one for the next time you want to make spinach pie! You’ll also need to fully thaw the puff pastry before you begin, so make sure to take it out of the freezer at least an hour before you make your spinach pie.

What Else Can I Add to Spinach Pie?

This is another one of those recipes that can take a lot of fun add-ins. Try tossing in some chopped sun dried tomatoes, or maybe some cooked bacon. Or how about some feta cheese or roasted red peppers? A little bit of dill would also take the flavor up a notch!

Close up side view of spinach pie in the glass pie dish
Share this recipe

Spinach Pie

4.84 from 68 votes
Puff pastry makes this rich and delicious spinach pie a breeze to prepare. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or brunch!
Overhead view of spinach pie in the glass pie dish on a wooden surface
Servings 8 slices
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour

Ingredients

Email Me This Recipe
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Make sure to take the puff pastry and spinach out ahead of time to thaw (spinach can be thawed quickly in the microwave, if needed, but do not thaw the puff pastry in the microwave). Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  • Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Set the onions and garlic aside to cool slightly.
  • Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and two of the eggs to a bowl, and stir to combine (save the third egg to brush on top of the pastry before baking).
  • Squeeze out as much water as possible from the thawed spinach. Add the squeezed spinach and sautéed onion and garlic to the bowl with the cheese mixture. Stir to combine again.
  • Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface (or dust lightly with flour) and roll the thawed puff pastry out until it's just slightly larger, about 10×10 inches.
  • Drape the rolled pastry dough out over a pie plate. Spread the spinach and cheese mixture inside the pastry dough, then take the corners and fold them in toward the center. The pastry will not fully cover the top, but that's okay (see step by step photos below).
  • Lightly whisk the remaining egg and brush it over the surface of the pastry dough. Bake the spinach pie for about 45 minutes, or until the pasty on top has puffed up significantly and turned golden brown.
  • Remove the spinach pie from the oven, let sit for about five minutes, then slice into eight pieces and serve.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.


Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 264.21kcalCarbohydrates: 18.71gProtein: 10.51gFat: 16.94gSodium: 454.89mgFiber: 2.69g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!

Video

Love Spinach? Try these other spinach-licious recipes:

One slice of spinach pie on a plate next to the pie dish

How to Make Spinach Pie – Step By Step Photos

Sauteed Onions and Garlic in a Skillet

Make sure to thaw one sheet of puff pastry and one pound of frozen chopped spinach before you begin. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Dice one yellow onion and mince one clove of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Set the onion and garlic aside to cool slightly.

Cheese, eggs, and seasoning in a bowl

Add 1 cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 2 large eggs, ⅛ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine.

Thawed and squeezed frozen spinach

Squeeze out as much water from the thawed spinach as possible. This is really important because you don’t want your spinach pie to be soggy!

Spinach and onions added to the cheese mixture in the bowl

Add the spinach and sautéed onion and garlic to the bowl with the cheese mixture, then stir to combine again.

Mixed spinach pie filling

And now the spinach pie filling is complete! Let’s move on to the puff pastry.

Rolled puff pastry dough

You’re going to need the puff pastry to be a little larger than it is as it comes, so lay the pastry dough on a sheet of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface, then roll it out until it’s about 10×10 inches.

puff pastry over pie dish

Drape the pastry dough over a pie dish. There should be enough to drape over the sides (you’ll fold that over the top after it’s filled).

Spinach pie filling added to the pie plate

Add the spinach and cheese mixture to the pie plate and spread it out evenly.

egg being brushed onto puff pastry

Fold the corners in toward the center (it’s okay if they don’t fully cover the top. Lightly whisk the last egg, then brush it over the surface of the puff pastry.

Baked spinach pie

Bake the pie in the preheated 375ºF oven for 45 minutes, or until the pastry on top is puffed up and deeply golden brown. Let the pie sit for about five minutes before slicing into 8 pieces and serving.

One slice of spinach pie on a plate

It’s sooooo good!

Try These Other Savory Pie Recipes

Share this recipe

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

Leave a Comment
  1. I’ve made this several times, and it’s always a winner. I’m a big lover of traditional Spanakopita, and this scratches that itch brilliantly when I haven’t the time or inclination to muck about with feta. I’ve a large family, so I often make two at a time.

    That said, there is one suggestion that I would make. As you are using an egg to enhance the browning of the top pastry, I would suggest also using it to brush the inside of the puff pastry shell before you add the filling. Brushing the pastry with egg provides a barrier of sorts that lets the crust get and remain crisp, even with a fairly damp filling.

    Thanks for sharing!

  2. Fabulous! I made this twice, and the second time I was low on onion and garlic, so just tossed in some Everything Bagel seasoning, and it was just as good. Easier than spanikopita, but with the same great flavors!

    1. I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how it would affect the results. :)

  3. This was fantastic! I usually make Spanikopita, but decided to try this because I am a huge fan of both puff pastry and cottage cheese. It was so nice to not have to fiddle with phyllo sheets, and the result was delicious! PLUS my two boys (11 and 13) gobbled it up!

    1. Yes, but you’ll need to cook it down really well first to make sure most of the water is out.

  4. Yum! So easy, healthy and quick to put together.

    I used baby spinach to add to the frozen since I didn’t have quite enough. Also added cooked ham. And, I didn’t precook the onions and they still cooked enough in the oven so that saved a step.

    Great recipe. Thank you!

    1. That would be a great addition, though they will release water and might pool.

  5. I made this as written, except omitting onion as it hurts my daughters stomach. Absolutely delicious! Love your recipes! I’ve made it 5 times, once each week! It’s in the regular rotation now!

  6. Looks great. Could I make the filling the night before and just assemble in the morning for brunch?

  7. I make this over and over. When Puff Pastry goes on sale, I get a few. Otherwise, very affordable to make.