What Is Tyropita?
Tyropita is a Greek cheese pie typically made with feta cheese, phyllo, and olive oil. The word tyropita is a combination of the Greek word for cheese (tyri) and pie (pita). Feta cheese is almost always the main cheese used in tyropita, which can be made with feta by itself or a mixture of cheeses. This recipe for tyropita is my family's favorite, using feta cheese and egg for the filling and nothing more!
The most famous Greek pie outside of Greece is surely spanakopita. Tyropita is like spanakopita, but without any spinach, green onion, and herbs. Tyropita is all about the cheese!
Tyropita Tips
Tyropita is one of the easiest Greek pies to make, but there are a few tips to ensure success:
Phyllo shouldn't be fussy
Let natural folds, wrinkles, and tears occur in the phyllo as you layer it in the pan. The folds and wrinkles create air pockets, which lets the phyllo layers get nice and crispy while baking. Don't worry about getting every layer perfectly flat, that's actually what you want to avoid!
Freeze one for later
You can bake one cheese pie and freeze the second for another day. Simply cover the unbaked tyropita with aluminum foil and place in the freezer. No need to defrost! Bake from frozen, uncovered, as directed in the recipe, increasing the baking time as needed.
Mix it up
If you prefer the filling to be milder, you can replace up to half of the feta cheese with ricotta or cottage cheese.
