Zeljanica

This Bosnian-Herzegovinian recipe was taught in our September Mosaic of Flavors class. It’s very similar to Greek spanakopita with flaky pastry dough filled with cheese and spinach.

Zeljanica

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Yield

8 Servings

Ingredients

1 package Filo dough
1 package spinach (frozen and chopped)
1⁄4 pound butter
1 cup water
2 egg
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons cheese, feta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F.

Mix together the spinach, eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and feta cheese, then divide between two bowls.

Melt butter. To assemble:

1.      Spread a small amount of melted butter over the bottom of a baking pan.

2.      Spread melted butter on every sheet of Filo dough.

3.      Place 8-10 sheets of Filo dough on the bottom of the pan.

4.      Spread the first bowl of mix on first layer.

5.      Spread second bowl of mix on middle layer.

6.      Place remaining Filo dough sheets on top of the pan.

Precut the dough in the pan before baking. Reduce the oven temperature to 420F immediately after placing the pan in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking regularly. The top crust should have a golden brown color when finished. If it is not done, increase the oven temperature to 450 for another 3-5 minutes.

Remove from oven. Pour remaining melted butter evenly over the top. Cover with a paper towel when cooled.

Serve and enjoy!