Make-ahead skillet pie is perfect for special meals
UPDATED: Wed., May 6, 2020

Nothing beats a one-skillet meal for ease of preparation on special occasions. This cheesy spinach pie can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature, and it’s also terrific on a buffet table right out of the oven. Make sure the phyllo dough is properly thawed so it unrolls without tearing.
For a complete meal, serve it with grilled or fried sausage links.
Skillet Spinach Pie
Adapted from “Feeding a Family: A Real-Life Plan for Making Dinner Work” by Sarah Waldman
30 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the spinach in the center of a clean kitchen towel, fold up the edges and squeeze out as much moisture as you can (a perfect job for kids!).
In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Transfer 2 tablespoons butter to a small bowl. Add the minced onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool slightly, then stir in the spinach, ricotta, eggs, feta, dill, lemon juice, salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Lay the first sheet of phyllo dough over the spinach-ricotta mixture in the skillet and brush the top with some of the reserved melted butter. One at a time, layer the remaining five sheets, brushing each one with butter. Rotate and scrunch each sheet so the edges are offset and the top is ruffled. Transfer the pie to an oven and bake it until golden brown and heated through, about 35 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings
Local journalism is essential.
Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.
Subscribe to the Spokane7 email newsletter
Get the day’s top entertainment headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.