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Spanakopita Baked Potatoes

Spanakopita filling is soooo versatile! Here is one of my favorite meatless indulgences, for a spanakopita-filled baked potato. Yummmie!

Course brunch, entree, Lunch
Cuisine Greek, Greek cuisine, Mediterranean diet
Keyword Diane Kochilas, Greek food, Greek herbs, potatoes, spanakopita, spinach
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 1 hour 25 minutes
SERVES 12

Ingredients

  • 6 large baking potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil
  • 1 large red onion finely chopped
  • 2 cups steamed, drained spinach (about 6 cups fresh)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh dill
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 cup crumbled Greek feta
  • ½ cup crumbled Greek anthotyro or ricotta
  • 2/3 cup coarsely grated Greek kasseri cheese or other mild semihard nutty yellow sheep’s milk cheese
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Scrub the potatoes well,but leave their skins intact. Cook them in one of two ways: The quick, but less flavorful, way is to boil them.
  2. 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. They should not be completely cooked through and they should not simmer so long that their skins split open. Remove and drain. Alternatively, bake the potatoes in a preheated 400 °F, 200C oven for about 45 minutes, or until al dente. Remove and cool until they can be handled easily. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F / 170C
  3. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and cook the onion until tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the spinach to the skillet and stir to combine. Add the dill and stir. Remove and cool slightly. Transfer the filling to a bowl.
  5. Cut each of the potatoes carefully in half lengthwise. Scoop out their flesh, leaving about a quarter inch of potato as a shell. Mash their flesh lightly with the butter until fluffy and crumbly. Add to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, cheeses, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Refill each of the potatoes with this mixture, mounding it decoratively.
  6. Place in a lightly oiled baking pan large enough to fit the potatoes snugly. Cover with parchment then seal with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. About 5 minutes before removing from the oven, sprinkle each potato with 1 tablespoon of coarsely grated Kasseri or other mild, semi-hard cheese. Serve hot.