Kreatopita Greek Meat Pie Using Phyllo Pastry Recipes

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!

Steps:

• For the meat filling: heat the olive oil in a large skillet under medium-high heat. Cook the onion for a few minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for two minutes more until softened and lightly browned.
• Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown well, breaking it up as you go with a wooden spoon. Stir in the seasonings and spices and cook for a few more minutes.
• Add the tomato passata and the water and reduce the heat. Simmer the mixture until most of the water is evaporated but it is still moist. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in the fresh parsley and set aside to cool completely.
• For the yogurt-egg mixture: in a small bowl, stir the yogurt, egg, and cooled melted butter together and set aside.
• Turn on the oven to 375°F.
• For the filo: open the thawed filo packet and unroll it. Remove one layer of filo and place on a clean surface. Cover the remainder of filo with a tea towel while you work so the rest of the stack does not dry out.
• Lightly brush the surface of the filo with some of the yogurt mixture (you do not have to cover every inch). Repeat with a second layer of filo, and brush that too with some of the yogurt mixture. Top with a third layer of filo, but do not brush that layer with the yogurt mixture.
• Place one third of the cooled meat mixture along the left edge of the filo stack. Gently roll up the filo towards the right side, making sure the log is not rolled too tightly.
• Gently twist the filo log to form a spiral. Lift it carefully and place it in a heavy bottomed skillet lined with parchment paper. Create a second and a third filo log following the same procedure. Continue forming the spiral by placing each log inside the end of the previous one. It does not have to be perfect!
• Brush the top of the spiral with some melted butter, or olive oil, sprinkle with some sesame seeds, and bake for about 40 minutes, or, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, slide into a platter, and let it cool. Cut into wedges and serve with a nice, green salad.

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.

Steps:

• In a pan, heat the garlic with half of the olive oil.
• Add in the ground meat and small onion.
• When the meat is almost cooked through add in the tomato paste.
• Add in the salt, pepper, cinnamon and all spice to your taste.
• When cooked completely through, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
• In a large lasagna size glass pan, spray the bottom of the pan with Pam.
• Add one sheet of the Phyllo dough.
• Spray that sheet and add another layer the same way until you have 5 sheets sprayed down with the Pam and layered on top of each other.
• You can let it go over the sides if the pan is too small for the sheet.
• Once you have the 5 sheets, add the meat to the sheets and spread evenly.
• Add the feta cheese evenly on top of the meat mixture.
• Make sure it is crumbled small.
• You do not want large chunks in one spot.
• Once you are through with that, start to add the remaining sheets the same way you did to begin with, remembering to spray each sheet as you layer.
• On the top layer, I sprayed with the Pam and also put the remaining olive oil on it spread evenly.
• You do not have to do this, I just like the extra taste.
• I also folded over the overlay to make it seal somewhat.
• Cook for about 15-17 minutes or until it is lightly golden on the top.