Savory Bougatsa with Minced Meat and Feta

Bougatsa is a filo pie from Thessaloniki. The best-known version is sweet with a semolina filling, but in northern Greece savory bougatsa with cheese, spinach or minced meat is just as common. This one is filled with spiced mince, feta and parsley.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 50 min

Ingredients

• 500 g minced beef or lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 200 g feta, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• 1 handful of parsley, chopped
• 10 sheets filo pastry
• 100 g melted butter or olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Soften the onion and garlic in olive oil, brown the mince, add the cinnamon, salt and pepper and let it cool.
2. Mix the meat with the feta, eggs and parsley.
3. Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking dish with 5 sheets of filo, brushing each with butter and letting the edges overhang.
4. Spread the filling over, fold the edges in and cover with the remaining 5 buttered sheets.
5. Score the top into portions, brush with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and rest for 10 minutes.

Tips

• Let the filling cool before adding the eggs, or they will set too early.
• Vegetarian variation: replace the meat with 500 g cooked spinach.

Products from Bakaliko

• Havelas - Handmade Greek Fillo 750 g
• Hotos - Feta P.D.O. 200 g

More Greek recipes

• Bougatsa: sweet Greek semolina custard pie
• Greek tiropita (cheese pie)