Chardikopita

 I feel like I’m perpetually searching for recipes that are low-fat, but not too low-fat, if you know what I mean. Butter and oil pack a lot of goodness, but even I get that too much of a good thing isn’t really that great for me.

 

So, enter this recipe for chardikopita. A take on the traditional greek dish, it’s packed with healthy chard, flaky (but not overly buttered) phyllo dough, and salty feta cheese. Yes please!

 

 

 

Gather, chop, and saute.

 

 

 

Then, wash and chop your chard,

 

 

 

it looks like a ton, if you add it to the pan in batches (and keep stirring, it’ll cook down).

 

  

 

 

Next, you’ll plunk down a stack of phyllo dough into your lightly greased dish, and spread out the filling (with ricotta, feta, and an egg mixed in). No need to butter the bottom layers – we’ll save that for the top sheets of dough, where we’ll really be able to taste it.

 

 

 

Here’s where the butter counts. Using 1-2 sheets of phyllo dough at a time, lay them on top of the filling. Using a pastry brush, paint each layer with butter. Repeat until you’ve got a nice stack of 10-12 layers of dough on top.

 

 

 

On the last two sheets of phyllo, go to town on the butter, then crumple over the top.

 

 

 

Bake for 40 minutes. To get the top gorgeous and brown, I turned on the broiler once it was done baking. If you do this – stand by! Mine started smoking after about 2 minutes. It came out perfectly, though!

 

 

 

Chardikopita

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2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds chard, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter, melted

approximately 24 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. In batches, add the chard, and cook, stirring constantly. It will look like a lot, but will shrink as it cooks down. Continue to cook until it’s all wilted, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool, about 5 minutes. Stir in egg, ricotta, feta, salt, and pepper, to taste.

 

Lay 8-10 sheets of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan (no need to butter), and spread chard mixture on top of the phyllo. Lay another single sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with butter, and repeat process with about 10-12 more sheets of phyllo. Generously butter remaining 2 sheets, and crumple over top.

 

Place in oven and bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes. If the top isn’t as brown as you’d like it to be, then (monitoring closely – it will burn quickly otherwise), broil the top for 1-2 minutes.

 

many thanks to my pal Sharoni for the idea and sassy name “chardikopita”!

 

 

Posted on June 4, 2012
This entry was posted in dinner, healthy, quick and easy and tagged dinner, easy.