Potato-Layered Zucchini & Cheese Pie (No-Phyllo Boureki Haniotiko)

Name: Potato-Layered Zucchini & Cheese Pie (No-Phyllo Boureki Haniotiko)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 5 large potatoes (about 2¼ lb/1 kg total, sliced into rounds about ¼ inch/5 mm thick); 2 lb/900 g zucchini (courgette, sliced into rounds about ¼ inch/5 mm thick); 1 tbsp/15 ml salt (for draining the zucchini, plus more to taste); 8 oz/250 g Cretan xinomyzithra cheese — or substitute: ½ lb/225 g fresh ricotta + ½ lb/225 g Greek feta; ¼ cup/30 g (1 oz all-purpose/plain flour, for dredging); 1 heaping tsp/5 ml dried mint; Freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 2 tbsp/30 ml olive oil (for the pan and layers); ¼ cup/60 ml (2 fl oz UK olive oil, for drizzling over the top); Oven: 375°F/190°C/Gas Mark 5

Boureki haniotiko — the cheese-and-squash pie from Hania — is usually built on a base of homemade Cretan phyllo. But in some parts of westernmost Crete, the phyllo is skipped entirely and thin rounds of potato take its place, layered with salted zucchini and a rich, tangy cheese filling. No dough to roll, no rolling pin required — just good knife work and a little patience while the zucchini drains. The cheese in question is xinomyzithra, a soft, sour Cretan cheese that’s nearly impossible to find outside Greece; a combination of fresh ricotta, crumbled feta, and thick yogurt gets you close. This version is one I come back to whenever zucchini season gets ahead of me — it’s forgiving, freezer-stash-friendly, and only gets better as it sits.

RATING

SERVES

PREP TIME

45 min

COOK TIME

60 min

TIME

1 h 45 min

RECIPES

Crete

Gluten Free

Greek – Inspired

Greek Recipes

Main Courses

Meze / Starters

Sides

Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Ingredients

5 large potatoes about 2¼ lb/1 kg total, sliced into rounds about ¼ inch/5 mm thick
2 lb/900 g zucchini courgette, sliced into rounds about ¼ inch/5 mm thick
1 tbsp/15 ml salt for draining the zucchini, plus more to taste
8 oz/250 g Cretan xinomyzithra cheese — or substitute: ½ lb/225 g fresh ricotta + ½ lb/225 g Greek feta crumbled + ¼ cup/60 ml (2 fl oz UK) thick Greek yogurt
¼ cup/30 g 1 oz all-purpose/plain flour, for dredging
1 heaping tsp/5 ml dried mint
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp/30 ml olive oil for the pan and layers
¼ cup/60 ml 2 fl oz UK olive oil, for drizzling over the top
Oven: 375°F/190°C/Gas Mark 5

Instructions

Salt and Drain the Zucchini

Layer the zucchini rounds in a colander, salting each layer lightly. Press down with the cover of a pot and let drain for 30 minutes.
Rinse the zucchini and pat dry thoroughly with a lint-free towel. Set aside.

Build the Cheese Filling

In a large bowl, mix the xinomyzithra (or the ricotta, feta, and yogurt) together. Season with black pepper and stir in half the dried mint, reserving the rest for the layers.

Layer the Pie

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C / Gas Mark 5). Oil the bottom of a 10-inch round pan, 2 inches deep, with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Cover the bottom of the pan with a single, slightly overlapping layer of potato rounds. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Toss a handful of the zucchini in flour to dredge, tapping off the excess, and lay it over the potatoes.
Spread a layer of the cheese mixture over the zucchini, sprinkling with a little of the remaining mint.
Continue layering potato, flour-dredged zucchini, and cheese mixture — adding a touch more flour to the zucchini as needed — until everything is used up, finishing with a top layer of zucchini.

Bake

Drizzle the remaining ¼ cup olive oil evenly over the top.
Bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden, 50 to 60 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

On the cheese: Xinomyzithra is a soft, tangy, unripened Cretan cheese — sour like feta, but far creamier. It’s the traditional base of this dish and essentially unavailable outside Greece. Combining fresh ricotta, crumbled feta, and thick Greek yogurt is the closest home approximation, giving a similar tang-and-creaminess balance.

Freezer zucchini: Thawed, well-drained shredded or sliced zucchini from a frozen stash works in place of fresh — press out any extra water after thawing before salting.

To halve: Use a 7-inch round pan and reduce every ingredient by half.

Make-ahead: Assembles and bakes well a day ahead; reheat covered at 325°F (160°C) until warmed through. Improves after a day in the fridge as the layers settle.

Storage: Keeps refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days.