As I mentioned last week, baby and bridal shower season is finally upon us! Of course, babies are born and brides are wed throughout the year, but it always feels like the spring and summertime are especially packed with fun get-togethers celebrating the two, which is fine by me. The only thing I love more than weddings is wiggling babies!
Speaking of, I’m convinced this little boy inside of me is half human, half roly poly. He is a tap dancing, wiggle monster from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed…which is usually late because he’s keeping me up rolling, kicking, and poking around. It’s so cute. : )
Anyways, in addition to the elegant Cucumber Burrata Sandwhiches I shared last week, these easy Spanakopita Bites are, well, easy and perfect to serve at a baby or bridal shower, where finger foods rule.
Pre-made, mini frozen phyllo dough shells are filled with an addictingly-delicious combo of chopped spinach, feta cheese, sauteed onions and garlic, and fresh parsley. They take about 15 minutes to assemble, 15 minutes to bake and can be served hot or at room temperature. Amaze.
Regular spanakopita is made by layering paper-thin sheets of phyllo dough on top of the spinach mixture, or rolling them with the filling into triangles. Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing, but also time consuming, which is why I’m in love with these pre-made frozen phyllo shells that you can buy right in the frozen foods aisle. They’re crispy, flaky and replicate the taste and texture of spanakopita without all the work – whee!
Crispy, creamy, chewy, and cheesy, these babies are PERFECT party food!
Start the Easy Spanakopita Bites with 10oz frozen > thawed > squeezed dry spinach.Â
Crumble the spinach into a large bowl.
Next, heat 1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add 1 small chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves then saute for 30 more seconds.
Let the onion and garlic mixture cool slightly then add to the crumbled spinach.
In goes 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley next, plus a pinch of ground nutmeg. Just a pinch!
Finally add 1 whisked egg and 6oz crumbled feta cheese.Â
Stir everything together until combined
K – onto those phyllo (or fillo) dough shells! Like I said, you can find these in the frozen foods aisle next to the pie shells, etc. You’ll need 2 packages for this recipe, which is 30 mini cups.
Place the cups onto 2 baking sheets then fill with the spinach mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the edges are golden brown. Note:Â the package will say to bake for 3-5 minutes, but you’ll be fine baking them for longer.
Serve the Spanakopita Bites piping hot, warm, or at room temperature, and with plenty of people around. They are so addicting!
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Easy Spanakopita Bites
Description
Easy Spanakopita Bites come together in minutes and are full of spinach and feta cheese. Absolutely delicious and perfect for parties!
Ingredients
- 30 frozen phyllo cups (2-15 count packages)
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 10oz frozen spinach, thawed then squeezed dry
- 6oz crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 egg, whisked
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then place phyllo cups on 2 baking sheets and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds then transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool slightly. Add spinach, feta cheese, parsley, nutmeg, and egg then stir to combine. Spoon mixture into phyllo cups then bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cups are golden brown around the edges. Serve hot or at room temperature.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Make these even quicker by preparing the filling a day ahead of time then baking right before the party. Enjoy!
Do I use the pre-made frozen shells still frozen or do I bring them to room temp prior to making this recipe?
They are the pre made shells that you can use frozen! :)
[…] I had the groceries, I just needed a mini muffin tin to make the Spanakopita Bites I had settled on for the potluck. I tried to pop into a couple of overcrowded stores with […]
[…] I saw my friend Kristin’s recipe this week for spanakopita bites, they reminded me that I still had a few leftover boxes of phyllo cups sitting in my freezer. […]
I can’t find these phyllo cups anywhere! If I made them myself, would I cook it all together or pre-bake the cups and cool and bake them again? They look so tasty…can’t wait to try them!
You know what I’ve never cooked with straight phyllo dough before so I can’t be sure, but I’m positive the box would tell you what to do (bake with/without fillings, etc. and how long!)
[…] the frozen puff pastry at the grocery store. They are AWESOME. I’ve used them before to make Easy Spanakopita Bites, which are just as addicting as these Crab Rangoon […]
Thank you for the fine recipe. I have altered it to fit a bit more with Greek taste. I did not use salt and pepper, but instead put 1/4 tsp dill and 1/8 tsp white pepper. I left out the nutmeg. As done traditionally, I fried the parsley and green onion (one stalk) in one TBSP butter (not olive oil) before mixing in with the spinach. They were scrumptious.
[…] Spanakopita Triangles and Then Some by Smitten Kitchen (some gorgeous looking fillings there) Easy Spanakopita Bites by Iowa Girl Eats (I can’t get over the ready-crumbled […]
These were delish and easy to eat, and even easier to prepare (once I tracked down the phyllo shells!). As a bonus, I tossed the leftover filling into a base recipe for savory muffins, and it’s perfect that way!
[…] Uncle Chris asked me to bring an appetizer. In a recent Friday Favorites post, I linked to this recipe and said I knew what I was going to do with the extra Athens phyllo dough just hanging out in my […]
[…] a stuffing after trying to figure out what to do with some leftover spinach + feta filling from the Easy Spanakopita Bites I made last week. I used part of the filling to pump up scrambled eggs (to die) and the other half […]
Love how easy these are to prepare! Adding bacon to mine next time!
[…] I want someone to have a party just so I can make these cute, little spanakopita bites. […]
Yum these look awesome!
I don’t think they have those fill shells here in Australia yet which is a shame as they are a great idea and much healthier than the puff pastry ones they do sell.
My Greek grandmother would be proud!
i love mini phyllo shells! so good!
YUM yum YUM – I love Spanakopita and have made these before & we love them so much that a variation on this will be served as an appetizer at our wedding :-)