Spanakopita baked potatoes

I promise you that these will become a family favourite. You might also find yourself making these for a dinner party or holiday table.

Spanakopita baked potatoes. Credit: My Greek Table

• serves

  12

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 6 large baking potatoes
• 75 ml extra virgin Greek olive oil and more for oiling the baking dish
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups lightly steamed, drained spinach (about 6 cups fresh) (see Note)
• 42 g unsalted butter
• 1 cup crumbled Greek feta
• ½ cup crumbled Greek anthotyro or ricotta
• ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ⅔ cup coarsely grated Greek kasseri cheese or other semi-hard, nutty yellow sheep’s milk cheese

Instructions

1. Scrub the potatoes well, but leave their skins intact. Bring the whole potatoes to a boil over high heat in a large pot of salted water. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are al dente, about 20 minutes. They should not be cooked through and should not simmer so long that their skins split open. Remove and drain.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat 45 ml of olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and cook the onion until tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the spinach to the skillet and stir to combine. Remove and cool slightly. Transfer the filling to a bowl.
4. Cut each of the potatoes carefully in half lengthwise. Scoop out their flesh, leaving about a 5-6 mm (¼ inch) of potato as a shell. Mash their flesh lightly with 1½ tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil until fluffy and crumbly. Add to the spinach. Mix in the cheeses, yogurt, dill, eggs, salt, and pepper. Refill each of the potatoes with this mixture, mounding it decoratively. Sprinkle each potato with a scant tablespoon of coarsely grated Kasseri or other mild, semi-hard cheese.
5. Place in a lightly oiled baking pan large enough to fit the potatoes snugly. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Serve hot.

Note

Rather than steaming the spinach, you can add the fresh spinach to the onion in the pan in batches and cook until it is all wilted.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.