Name: Kreatopita - Greek Meat Pie
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Greek Cuisine
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil; 2 cups finely chopped leeks, white part only; 2 spring onions, white part only, finely chopped; 500 grams ground veal; ½ cup white dry wine; 1/2 cup dill, finely chopped; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup graviera cheese, grated*; 500 grams all-purpose; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive; 3 tablespoons vinegar; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 250 - 300 ml soda water; 150 grams butter, at room temperature

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Kreatopita (pr. Krae-ah-TOH-pee-tah), is a Greek meat pie that can be eaten as a main course with a salad or as a snack or taken at a potluck.

It tastes great when it’s cold and leftovers are perfect to take with you at work or at a picnic.

How to make Kreatopita (meat pie)

The meat filling

The meat filling is made with ground veal and lots of sautéed leeks and green onions. Some wine is added to help it cook, and it is seasoned with salt and pepper. When cooked some dill is mixed in the filling and set aside to cool.

The dough

What makes this Kreatopita different and more delicious is the homemade phyllo with butter. It starts by making a normal phyllo but instead of water, soda water is used the bind the flour. It is then left to rest for half an hour for the gluten to develop.

Then it is rolled out either using a pasta maker or using a rolling pin and then melted butter is spread on the phyllo.

It is then wrapped in cling film and refrigerated so that the butter becomes firm again.

Finally the dough is rolled out again, this time using a rolling pin to make two sheets of phyllo.

The first one placed as the bottom layer, is slightly bigger so that it covers the sides of the baking tray.

When the meat filling is added, graviera cheese is spread on top and then the second one is added on top.

To make the homemade phyllo see my videos here (using a dowel) or here (using a pasta machine). This will help you to roll the phyllo for this recipe.

If you want to make something with less fuss you may use store bought puff pastry.

Kreatopita with Puff Pastry

Sometimes, when I don’t have much time to make my own phyllo from scratch, I use store bought puff pastry and make it with the same filling.

If you like you can sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

Kreatopita with Puff Pastry image — Kreatopita with Puff Pastry

Update: 24th December, 2012

Festive Kreatopita with bulgur wheat

I made the same pie during Christmas with a slightly different filling, adding bulgur wheat in the filling as well as more aromatic herbs, such as Mediterranean Hartwort and Chervil.

I forgot to buy soda water for the phyllo, so instead I used sugar free coca cola to make the phyllo and it came out great!

I used the leftover pieces to make some decoration on top.

Kreatopita - Greek Meat Pie

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Kreatopita is a Greek meat pie that can be eaten as a main course with a salad or as a snack or taken at a potluck.

Ingredients

For the dough:

500 grams all-purpose
1/4 cup extra virgin olive
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
250 - 300 ml soda water
150 grams butter, at room temperature

For the Meat Filling:

¼ cup olive oil
2 cups finely chopped leeks, white part only
2 spring onions, white part only, finely chopped
500 grams ground veal
½ cup white dry wine
1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup graviera cheese, grated*

Instructions

You can prepare the homemade buttery pastry phyllo following this recipe or use store bough puff pastry.
Wash the leeks and cut them into 1 cm slices and boil them until tender, then
strain them. If the leeks are tender, skip the boiling process.
Ηeat the olive oil ιn a skillet and sauté the leeks and onions, until translucent.
Add the ground meat and sauté, mixing regularly, until no longer pink.
Add the wine and cook for a minute for the alcohol to evaporate.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat and mix in the dill. Set aside to cool.
Roll out the bigger phyllo and place in an oiled round 28 cm or 32 x 22 cm rectangular baking tin
Add the meat mixture and sprinkle the graviera cheese on top.
Place the second sheet of phyllo on top.
Take both phyllos and join them by pressing and giving them a nice shape.
Brush with olive oil on top and score the pieces superficially, with a sharp knife.
Preheat the oven to 180° C / 350° F and bake for about one hour or until
golden on top.
As soon as it is out of the oven, cut it into portions, so that the steam is released.

Notes

If you do not have graviera cheese, you can use other cheeses, such as halloumi or kefalograviera or kefalotyri or pecorino.

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 280Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 69mgSodium 1256mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 13g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Greek Pies (Pites)

Greek pies (pita plural pites) are a staple in Greek cuisine. They are very versatile and can be either savoury or sweet. You can make a "pita" with vegetables, meat, fruit, etc.

Spanakopita and Spanakopitakia

Spanakopita (Greek "σπανÎ¬κι + πÎ¯τα", spinach + pie) is a Greek pastry with a filling of spinach, feta cheese (sometimes in combination with anthotyro, which is a soft white cheese similar to ricotta, onions or green onions, eggs, herbs and seasoning.