These kale spanakopitas are absolutely delicious with kale, feta cheese, pine-nuts and a pinch of nutmeg all wrapped up in flaky phyllo pastry. The best way to use up a bounty of kale!
Sooo. It’s been a really long time since I have posted anything with kale.
It’s not that I don’t love kale. It’s not that we’ve grown apart.
The silent treatment I’ve been giving kale has been more to do with the fact that I just associate kale with winter. Is that weird? There’s just something about kale that I associate with comfort food…like soup, or chicken pot pie.
Well, for the first time, I tried growing kale in my garden…and with great success. The funny thing is that my kale patch has been completely shunned by the wild swarm of swallows that party in my yard. The squirrels don’t give it a second glance. The slugs haven’t found it, and neither have any other creepy crawlies. They don’t know what I do about kale.
Kale is fantabulous.
Reasons you’ll ♡ these kale spanakopitas
- the kale adds a mildly sweet flavor to these spanikopitas
- they are a great way to use up lots of kale
- they are freezer-friendly
What is the big deal about kale?
It is soooo good for you.
Apparently it is packed with calcium, fiber and antioxidants.
But that’s not the reason I love kale. I love the interesting, mildly sweet flavor it lends to dishes.
Do you want to know a secret I’ve discovered? Anything spinach can do, kale can do better.
So, why not give it a try in spanakopitas?
Well, this theory did not lead me astray…these spankies (as we affectionately called them when I worked for a catering company) were delicious! Of course, when you are basing your recipe off of Ina Garten’s recipe, it is hard to go wrong.
The kale was accompanied by feta (of course), but also a hint of nutmeg and a bit of crunch from toasted pine nuts. Mmmm….so good.
And I think the fact that I used the awesomely nutritious kale cancels out all the butter and pastry used…what do you think?
Tips & equipment for kale spanakopitas
- you’ll need a silicone basting brush to brush your phyllo pastry sheets
- I love these baking sheets
- looking for more tasty kale recipes? Try this Kale Pesto, our Staple Kale Salad or these Crispy Baked Kale Chips
Kale Spanakopitas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/8 cup spring onions chopped
- 10 cups kale loosely packed. Kale should be washed and shredded into very small peices with stems removed
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons parmesan freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts toasted
- 24 sheets phyllo pastry thawed
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- bread crumbs for sprinkling
- sea salt
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 375 F.
- Heat half of oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add spring onions and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat the other tbsp of olive oil in the pot. Add kale, and cook, in batches, until completely wilted. You may need to add additional oil to the pot between batches. Adding a few tablespoons of water also helps the kale to wilt. Add the kale to the onions and allow to cool.
- Add the eggs, Parmesan, 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs, nutmeg, pepper, feta and pine nuts to the kale and onions. Gently mix.
- To assemble the spanikopitas: Place a sheet of phyllo pastry on a clean, working surface. Paint the pastry lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs (around one teaspoon). Place a second phyllo sheet on top of the first and repeat. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers of phyllo, with the top brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
- Cut the phyllo lengthwise in half to get two long rectangles. In the bottom left-hand corner of one of the rectangles, place ⅓ of a cup of the filling. Fold the bottom left-hand corner of the pastry towards the top right, as if you were folding a flag. Continue folding until you have a triangular-shaped pastry.
- Place spanakopitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired (however be aware they are not lacking in salt with all the feta). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they become golden.
- Best served immediately but these also keep well in the fridge for several days and freeze well.
Storage
- These spanakopitas hold up well in the fridge for 4 days and may be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a large storage container or bag.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Food Network
Sondra
Hi Denise,
Could you shred kale in food processor?
Denise
Hi Sondra! Probably, although I haven’t tried it myself.
Nattles
Hi there….
Looking to find out how well spankies will hold on in the freezer… I’d love to make use of the ton of kale about in my garden for future use and the fam loves spanikopitas. Should I half cook them and freeze or freeze them raw, just wrapped or fully cooked?
Thanks,
Nattles
Denise
Hi Nattles, These guys freeze really well! We froze the fully cooked spanikopitas by wrapping them in plastic wrap and then putting this inside a big zip-lock bag.