Best Greek Meat Pie Recipes

KREATOPITA (GREEK MEAT PIE USING PHYLLO PASTRY)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, coat bottom of pan with olive oil and add ground beef (and mushrooms, if using). Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, and stirring often until meat and mushrooms are browned and liquid emitted has evaporated (make sure all the liquid has evaporated - you don't want a soggy pita!).
• Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano and cinnamon and cook until liquid emitted from onions has evaporated, too.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to bring hot filling up (to cool faster).
• Add cheese, parsley and eggs to meat filling and combine thoroughly to blend. Taste filling and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.
• In a 15 x 10 inch pan (or large pan), layer half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one generously with olive oil (use a pastry brush), before adding the next sheet of pastry.
• Pour the meat filling into the phyllo-lined pan.
• Layer the remaining phyllo sheets in the same way, over the filling, brushing each one generously with olive oil before adding the next sheet of pastry. When you reach the last sheet (the top one), brush this one slightly more generously than the rest, tuck in any overhang you have neatly into the pie and score pie, lengthwise, into 4, using the tip of a small, sharp knife and making sure you don't cut all the way through the bottom of the pastry (just the top crust and slightly into the filling).
• Position baking rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F).
• Bring your pan next to the sink and run the cold water tap. Wet the tips of your fingers and shake the water onto the pastry. Do this a few times to ensure droplets of water fall all over the pastry (this ensures a crisp crust upon baking).
• Bake pie for approximately one hour, until you achieve a deep golden crust. If you have a flat-bottomed oven (no element), do put your pan on the floor of the oven for the last 20 minutes or so to ensure an even crisper bottom crust.
• The pita is best slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Enjoy!

GREEK MEAT PIE (KREATOPITA)

Steps:

• Filling: Place sliced onion in a colander. Pour salted boiled water over them, rinse and drain well.
• Add onions to a coated pan and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add beef, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir well.
• Add 1/2 cup of water and boil until just the mixture is left.
• Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool.
• Prepare béchamel Sauce by melting butter in small pan whisk in flour and add hot milk. Whisk.
• Add 3 eggs, cheese, bread and béchamel sauce to the filling and set aside.
• Pastry: Combine the pastry ingredients, except for the egg yolk/milk, in a mixing bowl.
• Knead it into a pliable, non-sticky dough.
• Separate the dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other.
• Take the larger ball and roll out enough to more than cover your oven dish. Place it in a buttered pie pan, covering the bottom, and sides, going slightly over the edge at the top.
• Now place the filling on top of the crust and level it.
• Roll out the second dough ball and cover the filling.
• Butter the edge of the bottom crust and fold it over inwards to cover the edge of the top crust and make a border by pressing the edges with your fingertips.
• Mix the milk and egg yolk and brush the surface with the mixture.
• Poke a hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape and stick the rest of the pastry with a fork.
• Place in a preheated oven at 325F degrees for about 45 minutes, until it is golden brown.

GREEK ZUCCHINI, FETA & MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Place zucchini in colander over bowl. Sprinkle zucchini with salt; let stand 30 min. to drain. Wrap zucchini in clean kitchen towel; use to squeeze remaining liquid from zucchini. Place zucchini in medium bowl.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Brown meat; drain. Add to zucchini along with the cheese, eggs, milk and bread crumbs; mix well.
• Place 1 phyllo sheet on clean work surface; brush lightly with some of the butter. Cover with second phyllo sheet; brush with butter. Place double layers of phyllo dough in 9-inch round pan sprayed with cooking spray, letting ends of dough extend over side of pan. Repeat with 6 of the remaining phyllo sheets, crisscrossing double layers of dough as necessary to completely cover bottom of pan.
• Spread zucchini mixture onto bottom of crust; cover with remaining phyllo sheets. Fold ends of phyllo dough over top of pie; brush with remaining butter.
• Bake 45 min. or until golden brown. Cool in pan 10 min. Unmold onto serving plate; cut into wedges to serve.

GREEK MEAT PIE

Steps:

• In a skillet, saute ground meat in olive oil with onions until browned; season with salt, oregano and pepper; add tomato sauce & cinnamon.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs and stir in Parmesan cheese; when ground meat has cooled, fold in the eggs and cheese mixture.
• Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan; arrange six sheets of Phyllo pastry on bottom of pan, buttering each sheet with the melted butter.
• Spread a layer of cooled meat mixture evenly on Phyllo & cover with remaining six phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter.
• Trim edges of Phyllo to fit pan with a sharp knife; slice through top of pastry to form diamond shapes.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until pastry is golden crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• May be served hot or cold.

GREEK FREIGHTER MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Heat oil and fry onions until soft.
• If using raw meat and potatoes, brown for 5 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of hot water (2 cups water if using rice).
• Add rice, herbs and seasonings.
• Cover and cook 20 min until meat is cooked and potatoes or rice are soft.
• Remove from heat.
• Mix in cheese, egg and nuts (and cooked meat if you didn't use raw meat).
• Melt butter and oil in small pot.
• Oil a square or rectangular baking pan.
• Lay half of the sheets of filo, oiling lightly between each sheet.
• Spread on meat filling.
• Lay remaining filo sheets, oiling between sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour.

GREEK ZUCCHINI, MEAT & FETA PIE

Steps:

• PLACE zucchini in colander over bowl. Sprinkle zucchini with salt; let stand 30 min. to drain. Wrap zucchini in clean kitchen towel; use to squeeze remaining liquid from zucchini. Place zucchini in medium bowl.
• HEAT oven to 400°F. Brown meat; drain. Add to zucchini along with the cheese, eggs, milk and bread crumbs; mix well.
• PLACE 1 phyllo sheet on clean work surface; brush lightly with some of the butter. Cover with second phyllo sheet; brush with butter. Place double layers of phyllo dough in 9-inch round pan sprayed with cooking spray, letting ends of dough extend over side of pan. Repeat with 6 of the remaining phyllo sheets, crisscrossing double layers of dough as necessary to completely cover bottom of pan.
• SPREAD zucchini mixture onto bottom of crust; cover with remaining phyllo sheets. Fold ends of phyllo dough over top of pie; brush with remaining butter.
• BAKE 45 min. or until golden brown. Cool in pan 10 min. Unmold onto serving plate; cut into wedges to serve.