Chicken Florentine Phyllo Pie – A creamy, cheesy and delicious mixture of chicken and spinach nestled between crispy and flaky phyllo sheets.
Hey, you guys!
Happy Super Bowl Sundaaaaaay! Are YOU ready?! I’m NOT!
Look. If there’s no Bears in sight, I’m not really interested in watching, ya know? Which, if looked at it technically, the last time I truly watched a Bears Super Bowl, I was merely an infant. Or not. I think I was in school already, but still. It was a loooooong time ago. I should just throw in the towel and stop dreaming, buuuuut I ain’t no quitter! GO BEARS!
…there’s always next year…
…which is what I also say about the Cubs at every year’s World Series Game…
…and my blood pressure just went up a few notches in thinking about Chicago sports teams… let’s talk FOOD!
Once upon a time, while my parents were out of town, I decided to ditch mom’s frozen soups that she had made for us and create something delicious for my sister and I. While most 16-year olds would’ve inhaled the already made dinner, I took the more interesting route. I was a rebel in the kitchen from the get-go.
In my attempt to create something different, I took out the phyllo sheets, combined some not-so-tasty cheese-veggie-filling ingredients and made us a pie that didn’t quite work out. I used way too much filling for a pie with only 5 phyllo sheets. I had no idea what I was doing, but all I wanted was cheater-Zelnik, aka spinach and cheese pie.
Why am I telling you this, you ask?
Well, because it was at that moment that I realized I didn’t have to use the traditional spinach & cheese deal. A light went off in my little head and from thereon, as soon as I learned that 5 phyllo sheets was the dumbest thing ever, my fillings just kept getting more and more creative.
Case in point:
Butternut Squash and Spinach Pie
See? That’s a pretty delicious roster right there.
And this Chicken Florentine Phyllo Pie is just as delicious. It’s a perfectly kinda rustic, fancy, low maintenance meal that makes me HAPPY every time I eat it. This stuff is heavenly!
You should go make it. Like now! The Super Bowl can wait!! 😉
ENJOY!
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Chicken Florentine Phyllo Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup part-skim Ricotta Cheese
- 2 garlic cloves , chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup soft cheese (goat cheese, bleu cheese or feta cheese)
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups cubed (cooked) chicken breasts, (this is a great recipe for leftover chicken)
- 1 bag (6-ounces) spinach leaves
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 16 phyllo sheets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, chopped garlic, eggs, cheese, zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper; with a mixer on low, mix until combined and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add cubed chicken pieces; cook for 4 minutes or until heated through.
- Add spinach leaves and continue to cook until spinach is wilted; about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer 1/2-cup of chicken mixture to ricotta mixture; stir to combine.
- Add the remaining chicken mixture to the ricotta mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
- Brush a cast iron skillet with a little bit of the melted butter.
- Unfold phyllo sheets.
- Place a phyllo sheet on the bottom of the cast iron skillet.
- Brush with melted butter.
- Top with seven more sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter before adding the next.
- As you work, keep the unused stack of phyllo sheets covered so they don't dry up.
- Spread the chicken-ricotta mixture over the phyllo sheets.
- Top with remaining 8 phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter, including the top sheet.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is browned and flaky.
- Let stand 10 minutes.
- Cut and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Categories:
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Can I use something different from ricotta cheese. I don’t care for it
Looks delicious! What size cast iron pan did you use?
This was in my 12-inch, but even a 10-inch would be okay.
Is there a substitute that can be used for the butter? This looks fabulous. I must try this recipe.
Hi!
I have never used anything other than butter for phyllo sheets, but you can try it with olive oil.
I tried this today. It was great! Been a long time since i worked with phylo and sure could use some practice! I will try another of your recipes using phylo as well.
Thank you for sharing this!
We enjoyed this very much! The brightness from the lemon juice and goat cheese nicely balances the savoriness. We used a 13×9, making it easy to work with the 13×17 phyllo sheets we had. Baked 20 minutes at 400 as recommended. Thanks for posting!
We made this tonite, and it was amazing!! Turned out perfectly.
How can this be done in something besides a cast iron skillet?
Hi Marissa!
You can make it in a regular baking dish, but you’ll have to raise the temperature to 400F and watch it closely from the 20-minute mark and on. It’s done when the top is browned and flaky. I hope this helps! Have a great Sunday!!
This looks seriously incredible! Love that close up shot, all those flakey layers and all that spinach, wow yum!
YUM! I love anything with phyllo 🙂
Confession time: I only touched phyllo dough once in my life, many years ago…it was a disaster and I have had a fear of it ever since, lol! This looks so good that it could almost make me try again!
I grew up in a Cleveland Browns household…lets not talk about waiting for teams to get to the Super Bowl…haha. I love this version of spinach pie you threw together. I never buy full sheets of phyllo but that needs to change b/c I need this in my life asap!
Dude. I’m a Lions fan. I totally get it. I could certainly nurse the annual Lions-blew-their-chances-at-the-playoffs wounds with a phyllo pie. Spinach pie is one of my Top 10 Comfort Foods. I really love the chicken and cheese in this one!
As a Buffalo Bills fan…I feel your pain. haha this pie totally makes up for it though, right? The color on the phyllo is gorgeous!
I love phyllo dough, but have never had it in a savory dish. This looks amazing!
I have to start using phyllo – this dish looks absolutely delicious. Love it!!!
It’s beautiful! I love anything that is made in a cast iron skillet. That filling is to die for!
This is beyond beautiful! I adore everything about this…the phyllo, the spinach, the chicken. Now I want this for dinner.
Well, you gotta start somewhere, right? 😉 And just look how far you’ve come. I want to devour a slice of this, those flaky layers and that scrumptious filling are calling my name!
C’mon now lady, how could you make this and not invite me over. This is stunning. I can hear the crackle as you rip into it with a fork. Brilliant. I was so bored yesterday. Not a sports girl so me and Kiana watched movies upstairs while hubs watched football downstairs. We’re so boring.
I spotted this on instagram today and have been thinking about it ever since. Totally drooling!
Pinned. Oh sweet goodness at all that creamy dreamy phyllo goodness going on.
Love your twist on florentine in pie form!
Umm, yep, I am making this, Looks absolutely amazing.
Delicious. I love phyllo dough but sometimes working with it terribly frustrates me. I think it’s because of lack of space in my kitchen. I love savory dishes, like your kitchen florentine, and sweet made with phyllo.
Oh you’re killing me with this pie, love the golden phyllo! 🙂
This looks really delicious. Just to clarify through- that’s eight sheets of phyllo for the bottom crust, then all the filling, then eight more sheets on top?
Hi Megan! Yes, you layer the first 8 sheets on the bottom, and brush each one with melted butter… then you top that with the filling and add the remaining sheets, brushing each sheet with the melted butter. 🙂