This family recipe for Greek Cheese Pie will transport you straight to the Islands of Greece.
Featuring a rich savory feta cheese filling wrapped inside crispy, buttery, golden-brown phyllo triangles.
It’s one of the most popular dishes in Greece, enjoyed any time of day, even for breakfast.
Cheese Pie comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and is delicious when served as a main dish, side, starter, or mid-day snack.
Looking for more Greek recipes? Try this Spanakopita Pie or YiaYia’s Authentic Pastitsio.
WHAT IS GREEK CHEESE PIE?
Greek cheese pie is the most popular pie or ‘pita’ in Greek cuisine, next to Spanakopita of course.
The main ingredient, feta, makes for a decadent filling that gets wrapped inside layers of light and flaky phyllo (filo) pastry.
It can be made in a large 9×13 dish and cut into individual squares (Tiropita) or formed into individual handheld triangles (Tiropitakia).
Tiropitakia (Tyropitakia) pronounced tea-rho-pea-TAH-khia are my personal favorite way to serve Greek Cheese Pie because they make great hand-held appetizers for a party.
If you’re interested in making the large pie version (Tiropita), you can follow the assembly instructions for Spanakopita here. The only thing that’s different is the filling!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?
Feta cheese – select a high-quality sheep’s milk Feta. This article discusses some of the brands that sell authentic feta.
Milk – whole milk is best. Start by adding a little at a time (you want the consistency to be thick cream, not too runny).
Flour – all-purpose flour works best.
Butter – select a high-quality grass-fed butter. This dish requires lots of butter so you want it to be the good kind.
Sharp cheddar – this is a family preference that you can easily substitute. The recipe needs a 2nd cheese to balance the feta and there are many options such as ricotta, parmesan, or kefalograviera.
Egg – lightly beat the egg prior to adding it to the mixture.
Parsley – fresh parsley roughly chopped is best. You can substitute for 2 tsp dried herbs if needed.
Black pepper – freshly cracked is delicious to help balance the saltiness of the dish. NO additional salt is needed.
Phyllo dough – I use store bought phyllo often and it works and tastes great. Traditionally, homemade phyllo or village dough is used.
HOW TO MAKE GREEK CHEESE PIE (TIROPITAKIA)
Step 1 – Preheat oven to 375 F.
Step 2 – In a large saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over low heat. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup flour and whisk for 1 minute until clumpy and combined.
Step 3 – Add 3/4 cup milk, a little at a time. Whisk until the consistency is like a thick cream.
Step 4 – Add crumbled feta, shredded cheddar, lightly beaten egg, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.
Stir until combined. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
Step 5 – Melt 3 tbsp butter in a microwave safe bowl and mix with 3 tbsp olive oil. Remove thawed phyllo dough from packaging and cover with a damp towel.
Step 6 – Working with 1 sheet at a time, lay a single phyllo sheet down on a large clean workspace.
Using a pastry brush, paint the entire sheet with the butter/olive oil mixture until it looks soaked through.
Step 7 – Repeat with 3 more phyllo sheets, laying each one on top of the last one for a total of 4 sheets.
Step 8 – Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal slices to make 4 equal sized strips. Using a spoon, transfer a small dollop of the feta mixture to the bottom-center of one of the strips.
Step 9 – Starting at the bottom corner, fold into a triangle shape, enclosing the mixture. Continue to fold over and over until the final result is a triangle pouch.
Repeat with the other 3 strips.
Step 10 – Place the cheese pie triangles on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little more butter/olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown.
RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
THE CHEESE – while Feta is the main ingredient in every Greek cheese pie recipe, the additional cheese used varies recipe to recipe.
Other cheese options include:
- Ricotta
- Parmesan
- Anthotiro
- Kefalograviera
- Gouda
THE PHYLLO – in this recipe, I’m using store-bought frozen phyllo dough which I believe works and tastes great.
Traditionally, Greek cheese pie calls for homemade phyllo dough or ‘village’ dough which is thicker and more rustic than paper thin phyllo.
My yiayia always used village dough and I will be publishing an entire blog post about that recipe soon!
THE PIE SHAPE – the instructions for this recipe form triangle shaped (Tiropitakia) but the other option is to make one large pie in a 9×13 baking dish (Tiropita).
Follow the assembly instructions here for the large pie version.
WHAT TO SERVE GREEK CHEESE PIE WITH
Greek cheese pie makes for a delicious snack, appetizer, main or side dish.
What to serve Tiropitakia (triangles) with:
What to serve Tiropita (large pie) with:
MAKE AHEAD, STORING, AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
Make ahead – assemble the Greek cheese pies and place in an airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers.
Whenever you’re ready to bake, remove desired amount of tiropitakia from the freezer and bake according to recipe instructions. Baking time may increase.
Storing – to save cooked cheese pie, wrap individual pieces tightly and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Remove and bake at 375 F until warmed through.
Freezing – you can freeze Greek cheese pie raw or baked and it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
RECIPE FAQ’S
The difference between Spanakopita and Tiropita is the filling. Spanakopita features a spinach mixture whereas Tiropita has only cheese in its filling.
The difference between Tiropitakia and Tiropita is the shape of the dish. Tiropitakia refers to individual triangle pies whereas Tiropita refers to a large whole pie.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Store uncooked cheese pie, wrapped tightly, in the freezer for up to 2 months.
MORE GREEK APPETIZERS YOU’ll LOVE
RECIPE TUTORIAL VIDEO
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Greek Cheese Pies (Tyropitakia)
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 8 oz feta, crumbled
- 1/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
For the phyllo:
- 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
- 3 tbsp butter + more if needed
- 3 tbsp olive oil + more if needed
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a large saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over low heat. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup flour and whisk for 1 minute until clumpy and combined.
- Add 3/4 cup milk, a little at a time. Whisk until the consistency is like a thick cream.
- Add crumbled feta, shredded cheddar, lightly beaten egg, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
- Melt 3 tbsp butter in a microwave safe bowl and mix with 3 tbsp olive oil. Remove thawed phyllo dough from packaging and cover with a damp towel.
- Working with 1 sheet at a time, lay a single phyllo sheet down on a large clean workspace. Using a pastry brush, paint the entire sheet with the butter/olive oil mixture until it looks soaked through.
- Repeat with 3 more phyllo sheets, laying each one on top of the last one for a total of 4 sheets.
- Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal slices to make 4 equal sized strips. Using a spoon, transfer a small dollop of the feta mixture to the bottom-center of one of the strips.
- Starting at the bottom corner, fold into a triangle shape, enclosing the mixture. Continue to fold over and over until the final result is a triangle pouch. Repeat with the other 3 strips.
- Place the cheese pie triangles on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little more butter/olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown.
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