Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie

A while ago I was brainstorming mushroom recipe ideas and one that particularly caught my attention was for a mushroom and feta phyllo pie. This idea was of course inspired by one of my favourite dishes, spanakopita, a Greek spinach pie. I envisioned the recipe as something along the lines of sauteeing some mushrooms, mixing them up with feta cheese, wrapping it all up in phyllo and baking it until it was golden brown. I wanted to bulk the filling out a bit and a bunch of sauteed leeks seemed like the perfect way to do it and they would add some flavour at the same time. For some reason, I kept coming back to trying to work some balsamic vinegar into the dish and I decided that by using a scant splash to deglaze the pan with would be a nice was to get it without it overpowering the pie. These days when I am looking for a herb to go with mushrooms, thyme seems to get all of the attention but I also enjoy the dill and mushroom flavour combo and it seemed like the natural choice this time. Next up was the feta along with some ricotta and eggs to bind everything together. Normally when I make spanakopita I do it like a pie with layers of phyllo on the bottom and on the top but this time I wanted to try something new and I rolled the phyllo up around the mushroom filling and then spiraled the rolls around the inside of the baking pan. The mushroom and feta phyllo pie turned out even better than I had hoped. All of the ingredients and flavours worked well together and you really cannot go wrong wrapping it all up in light and flaky phyllo pastry!

Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie

(makes 4+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks (cleaned and sliced)
1 pound mushrooms (diced)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or white wine, or broth)
1 handfull dill (chopped)
1/2 cup feta (crumbled)
1/2 cup ricotta
2 eggs
8 sheets phyllo dough (thawed over night in the fridge)
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the leeks and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms start to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the balsamic vinegar, deglaze the pan and cook until it evaporates.
6. Remove fromh heat and mix in the dill, feta, ricotta and eggs.
7. Lay out a sheet of phyllo dough, brush with oil and repeat with another layer. Spread the mushroom mixture alon the long edge of the phyllo, roll the phyllo up and gently fit it around the outer edge of your greased circular baking pan.
8. Continue until the pan is full and then brush the top with oil.
9. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

Similar Recipes:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Savoury Pumpkin Pie (Kolokithopita)
Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)

Use leftover phyllo dough in:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup
Tomato Tart
Baklava
Apple and Cheddar Quiche
Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie)
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Strawberry Goat Cheese Banitsa
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)
Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart