Traditional Spanakopita is made with Spinach and Feta - we're taking it to the next level by adding juicy spiced lamb. Trust me, you'll never look back! When you bite into the layers of crispy filo you’ll be hooked.
Filo pastry is one of those wonder ingredients. You lay it out, add a little butter and a few minutes in the oven it turns into crispy, flakey, delicious goodness. It's seriously under-used and so much easier to manage than you might think.
Lamb Spanakopita Ingredients
- Filling - Garlic, Lamb mince, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, paprika, baby spinach and feta
- Pastry - Filo pastry, salted butter
- Salad - Baby cos lettuce, olive oil, Lemon juice, salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Lamb Spanakopita
This Lamb Spanakopita is really easy to make. After you put it all together it takes just 10 minutes in the oven.
1. Preheat your oven to 220 C and get out a 20 cm cake tin (square or round is fine) and line the base with a piece of baking paper. Take your filo pastry out of the fridge or freezer to defrost.
- 4 large sheets of filo pastry (150g)
2. Peel and finely grate garlic. Place butter in a microwave proof container and melt in the microwave. Roughly chop almonds.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 50g salted butter
- 40g blanched almonds
3. Heat a large, deep frying pan on high heat, add a little oil, then add almonds (SEE TIP BELOW) garlic, cinnamon, thyme, oregano and paprika, and stir for a minute, then add lamb mince and break up with a spoon. Cook until brown.
TIP: You can leave almonds out if you are worried about nuts with your little ones, and roast on a separate tray in the oven and serve on top of the adult’s slices of pie.
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 40g blanched almonds
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 500g lamb mince
4. Add spinach and stir through until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside off the heat.
- 200g baby spinach (fresh or frozen)
- Salt and pepper
5. Place sheets of filo on your work surface, and use a pastry brush to brush melted butter over the first sheet of filo. Place the filo sheet, butter side down (so it doesn’t stick to the tin), into the cake tin, letting the pastry overhang.
- 4 large sheets of filo pastry
- Melted butter
6. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry, then fill with the lamb and spinach and crumble over the feta. Some smaller children find feta too salty, so if that’s the case put less feta in, or sub with mozzarella or whisked egg.
- 200g feta (sub grated mozzarella for a milder flavour or 2 whisked eggs)
7. Fold over the overhanging pastry over the top of the feta pie and brush with the rest of the butter. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
TIP: You probably won’t use all the butter, although it’s okay if you do 😉
- Melted butter
8. Slice the base from a cos lettuce, rinse and dry the leaves and add to a bowl.
Make a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the salad, and season well with salt and pepper.
Little ones may prefer lettuce on its own (without the dressing), if so, keep it on the side.
- 2 baby cos lettuce
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
9. Once the top of your pastry is golden, cool for a minute before you take it out of the tray (you can flip gently into a plate and then back onto a board). Serve slices of pie accompanied by the simple salad.
For little ones, chop their pie into little pieces and serve with chopped lettuce.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian - Substitute the lamb for a can of lentils, it will be seriously good. Alternatively you can always use a lot more spinach, and add a grain like barley.
- Gluten Free - Unfortunately I haven't found a good GF filo pastry yet (let me know if you have) so instead I recommend using two sheets of GF puff pastry to make a casing and top for your spanakopita.
- Dairy Free - You can use dairy-free feta, or use eggs instead, and use olive oil, nutellex or DF spread over the pastry.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Almonds - leave almonds out if you are worried about nuts with your little ones, and roast on a separate tray in the oven and serve on top of the adult’s slices of pie.
- Feta - Some smaller children find feta too salty, so if that’s the case put less feta in, or sub with mozzarella or whisked egg.
- Side salad - Little ones may prefer lettuce on its own (without the dressing), if so, keep it on the side.
- To serve - Chop the pie into little pieces and serve with chopped lettuce.
Equipment
You will need a cake tin (square or round is fine), a microwave, a large, deep frying pan, a stovetop, an oven, a pastry brush.
Top tip
You might not use all the butter, but it's good to have backup butter, I say!
Recipe
Lamb Spanakopita
Equipment
- Oven
- Frying pan
- Microwave
- Stovetop
- Pastry brush
- Cake tin
Ingredients
- 150 g filo pastry 4 large sheets
- 3 cloves garlic
- 50 g salted butter
- 40 g blanched almonds
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 500 g lamb mince
- 200 g baby spinach fresh or frozen is fine
- salt and pepper
- 200 g Feta sub. grated mozzarella for a milder flavour or 2 whisked eggs
- 2 baby cos lettuce
- 1 lemon juice of
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 C and get out a 20 cm cake tin (square or round is fine) and line the base with a piece of baking paper. Take your filo pastry out of the fridge or freezer to defrost.150 g filo pastry
- Peel and finely grate garlic. Place butter in a microwave proof container and melt in the microwave. Roughly chop almonds.3 cloves garlic, 50 g salted butter, 40 g blanched almonds
- Heat a large, deep frying pan on high heat, add a little oil, then add almonds garlic, cinnamon, thyme, oregano and paprika, and stir for a minute, then add lamb mince and break up with a spoon. Cook until brown.3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon paprika, 500 g lamb mince
- Add spinach and stir through until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside off the heat.200 g baby spinach, salt and pepper
- Place sheets of filo on your work surface, and use a pastry brush to brush melted butter over the first sheet of filo. Place the filo sheet, butter side down (so it doesn’t stick to the tin), into the cake tin, letting the pastry overhang.
- Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry, then fill with the lamb and spinach and crumble over the feta.200 g Feta
- Fold over the overhanging pastry over the top of the feta pie and brush with the rest of the butter. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. TIP: You probably won’t use all the butter, although it’s okay if you do 😉
- Slice the base from a cos lettuce, rinse and dry the leaves and add to a bowl. Make a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the salad, and season well with salt and pepper. Little ones may prefer lettuce on its own (without the dressing), if so, keep it on the side.2 baby cos lettuce, 1 lemon, 2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper
- Once the top of your pastry is golden, cool for a minute before you take it out of the tray (you can flip gently into a plate and then back onto a board). Serve slices of pie accompanied by the simple salad. For little ones, chop their pie into little pieces and serve with chopped lettuce.
Kate
Golly this was delicious
Anna Bay
Thanks Kate! Glad you loved it - it's one of my favourites too!