Filo Bake with Spinach, Mint and Cheeses

This tasty dish was inspired by the two others: the Greek Spanakopita, (layers of filo brushed with oil, with greens with Feta cheese filling), and the Bulgarian Banitsa dish (in which the filo sheets are rolled with feta, yogurt and eggs mixture).
In the version here, I used a fairly small amount of oil and filo sheets, and added mint and mustard to the spinach mix. The bake turned out very tasty, and not too heavy, as is sometimes the case with such bakes.
The filo in this dish is not crispy at all, but rather, gets a texture that is similar to lasagna sheets, but less heavy. The bake is perfect for breakfast or brunch, or as a light lunch or dinner, with fresh salad and yogurt on the side. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* Frozen and thawed cut spinach can be used instead of fresh.
* Filo dough comes in different thicknesses, which are marked by numbers by the manufacturers. The lower the number, the thinner it is. Here I’ve used number 7, which stands for medium thickness. It is perfect for such bakes, and is easier to work with than with the thinner sheets.
* Kashkaval cheese is a type of sheep milk cheese that is typical to the Balkans. It has a rich flavor and a somewhat dry texture. If you can’t find it, use mild cheddar cheese instead.
* If you prefer crispier filo bake, you can omit the topping, and instead, brush the top liberally with olive oil, as done in THIS dish. Another option is to use the filling mixture to make crispy filo triangles, as in THIS recipe.

Makes: 16 squares
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 lbs (455 grams) bag of spinach leaves, washed well
8 oz (225 grams) cream cheese
1 cup thick yogurt 2% fat (I used Fage)
8 oz (225 grams) Feta cheese
4 oz (115 grams) Kashkaval or Cheddar cheese (see notes)
2 L eggs
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt (or to taste, depending on the saltiness of the cheeses)
A handful of fresh mint, washed well and drained
¼ tsp freshly ground four pepper mix
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 Tbs olive oil
7 sheets of Filo # 7 (see notes)
For the topping:
1 cup thick yogurt 2% fat (I used Fage)
3 L eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground four pepper mix
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a 12” x 8” (20.5cm x 30cm) pan with baking paper.
2. Place the washed spinach in a large flat pot. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until the leaves wilt. Cool and chop roughly. Squeeze well and measure 1 cup.

3. Place the spinach in a food processor bowl, fitted with the metal blade. Add the yogurt, cheeses, eggs, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Process to a fairly smooth mixture.

4. Pour the oil into the prepared pan. Place 2 sheets of filo at the bottom. Spread 1/5 of the mixture over one part of one filo sheet, and roll it, from the shorter side, to a loose roll. Place the roll in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and the filo sheets.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour the mixture on top of the filo rolls.

6. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown. Let cool a bit before cutting. Serve warm.