↑

Scrummy Lane

Quick & easy family friendly recipes

  • Home
  • About & contact
    • Privacy policy for Scrummy Lane
  • Recipe Index
  • healthy
  • Easy dinners
  • Easy desserts
  • Greek recipes

Subscribe Today!

+ GET 5 'BEST OF THE BEST' RECIPES

Thank you for subscribing!

Home » all recipes » Tiropita (mini feta cheese triangles)

Tiropita (mini feta cheese triangles)

31 Dec 18

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through them. There is no additional cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

  • Facebook 13
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

Need party appetizers in a hurry? These mini Greek feta cheese triangles (aka tiropita) might be just what you’re looking for. A simple, very cheesy (of course) feta cheese filling wrapped in crispy filo pastry. Made with just 5 main ingredients, they’re total crowd pleasers!

Tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

Ask me why I haven’t posted a recipe for these mini feta cheese triangles before, and you’ll get a big shoulder shrug.

Goodness knows why. I ate them for YEARS at parties (and all sorts of occasions) during my time in Greece.

A Greek party staple, you really can’t go wrong with these gorgeous little tiropita – otherwise known as cheese pies!

If you want to get really technical about it – and learn a bit of Greek while you’re at it (why not?) – they’re called tiropitakia (tir-op-it-AK-ia), or mini cheese pies!

Tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

Many versions, all delicious

If you look up other Greek cheese pie recipes, you’ll see that there are many many versions. And that’s because it’s one of those recipes that everyone makes just a little bit differently. Which is often true of traditional recipes that have been passed down through generations.

So I’m always a little nervous posting these types of recipes because there’s no ‘right’ way to make them.

The truth is this recipe can be quite versatile. Sometimes I use ricotta cheese instead of Greek yogurt. Sometimes I add a little chopped fresh mint, dill, or dried oregano. Other times I add a bit of parmesan cheese into the mix for extra tang.

It’s the versatility of this recipe that makes it so super easy. It really doesn’t matter if the amounts of ingredients aren’t exactly the same as mine. If you like, add:

  • a bit of wilted chopped (and squeezed!) spinach, or
  • some mashed sweet potato or butternut squash
  • chopped sun dried tomatoes or olives
Mashed feta cheese to make mini cheese pies

Start with mashed feta – the softer the better.

Filling for mini Greek cheese pies

Add Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese, and parmesan & fresh or dried herbs if you like!

What kind of cheese to use

You can play around with types of cheeses, too. Any kind of tangy soft-ish cheese works really well.

A soft Greek cheese called anthotiro is traditional, but I like to use a soft, creamy type of feta cheese (the Danish feta you can buy in Australia is great). I can also imagine Mexican queso being a great option, or English Wensleydale if you’re in the UK.

This is what I usually include in MY tiropita/cheese pie filling:

  • mashed feta cheese (of course)
  • Greek yogurt or soft ricotta cheese
  • a bit of grated parmesan cheese (only sometimes!)
  • whisked egg
  • ground pepper, nutmeg & (sometimes) a bit of chopped fresh mint or dill if I have it, or dried oregano (these additions are not at all traditional – just what I like to add for a bit of extra flavour)

AAand… that’s it. That’s really it.

As you can imagine, the filling is super easy to prepare. I nearly always have these ingredients on hand, so all I have to buy is the filo pastry.

As for constructing your little pies, you might think this would be fiddly and complicated… BUT NO!

How to make your filo pastry pies

  1. Lay out 1 sheet of filo pastry
  2. Slap on some olive oil with a pastry brush. Don’t worry if little bits of the pastry tear.
  3. Lay another sheet of pastry over the top.
  4. Cut into 5 long equal(ish) strips with a sharp knife.
  5. Put about a tablespoon of cheese mixture in the centre of one end of the first pastry strip.
  6. Fold the corner over the mixture, and continue folding until you have a little pastry triangle.
Making tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

1. Oil a sheet of filo pastry and place another on top, then cut into 5 equal strips. 2. Place a tablespoon of mixture onto the end of a strip, then fold the corner over diagonally. 3. Keep folding until you have a little triangle and all the filling is enclosed.[/caption]

Making a mess? No worries!

It may seem a bit messy when you first start folding, with bits of cheese mixture falling out all over the place. But you’ll find that by the time you’ve folded the whole strip into a triangle, all the mixture will be magically inside!

Don’t worry if tiny bits of cheese mixture ooze out of some of the pastry triangles when they’re cooking. To be honest that makes them look even more delicious!

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and crispy, and…

Tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

Tiropita or mini Greek cheese piesCan you freeze these filo pastry pies?

Oh yes, absolutely!

I usually freeze the raw triangles in a single layer on baking sheets, then pop them into freezer bags.

When you’re ready to cook them, just cook straight from frozen. You’ll probably have to add about 10 minutes on to the cooking time, but just keep an eye on them. They’re done when the pastry is light brown and crispy looking. It’s hard to go wrong!

It goes without saying that these mini Greek cheese pies are great for parties. I usually have a few stashed away in my freezer for party ‘emergencies’.

Tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

They’re crispy. They’re cheesy. They remind people of their holidays on Greek islands… or how much they want to go on a holiday to the Greek islands. They’re incredibly simple to make. Kids tend to like them too.

How can you go wrong?

LIKE THIS RECIPE? YOU’LL LOVE THESE CRISPY MUSHROOM FILO TRIANGLES, TOO!

More easy party appetizers

  • Have you tried these crispy halloumi chips or fried halloumi bites yet? Make them once and you’ll be addicted forever!
  • A bowl of this really easy 10 minute tomato salsa and a batch of these Greek baked pita chips is all you need to get the party started!
  • These 6-ingredient mini quiche lorraine are always one of the first things to go at the party.
  • Why not serve little squares of this traditional 5-ingredient Spanish omelette on cocktail sticks?
  • This 5-minute roasted red pepper and feta dip is so much nicer than supermarket versions.
  • Or see all my party food here.

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON BY LEAVING A COMMENT AND RATING BELOW… AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL MY NEW RECIPES BY EMAIL!

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST AND YOUTUBE.

Tiropita or mini Greek cheese pies

Tiropita (mini feta cheese triangles)

Need something really simple for a party? Try these simple, cheesy, crispy Greek mini feta cheese triangles (aka cheese pies!) Make them ahead, stash them in the freezer, and you’re ready to go!
0 from 0 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Cuisine Greek
Servings (click to change) 28 (makes 25 – 30)
Author Helen

Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)

cups/ounces – grams/ml
  • 10.5 ounces feta cheese the softer the better, but any kind is OK – see note below
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt or 10.5 ounces ricotta cheese – see note below
  • 2 eggs lightly whisked
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or dill or 2 teaspoons dried oregano (optional)
  • black pepper
  • 9 ounces filo pastry I used about 2/3 of a 13 ounce/375 gram box
  • olive oil for brushing

Instructions
 

  • Mash the feta in a medium bowl, then add the yogurt or ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, herbs (if using) and black pepper. Mix well.
  • Preheat the oven to 355F/180C.
  • Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a clean work surface or large chopping board. Brush all over with olive oil.
  • Lay another sheet of pastry on top, then cut the pastry sheets into 5 equal(ish) strips (see photos in post or video).
  • Put about a tablespoon of mixture in the middle of one end of the first strip. Fold the pastry over it diagonally, then keep folding until you have a small pastry triangle and all the filling is enclosed. Place the triangle on a baking sheet.
  • Repeat with the remaining pastry strips and pastry sheets until you have about 30 cheese triangles.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes until the cheese pies are light brown in colour and crispy. Let cool a little, then if possible serve fairly quickly while they are still warm and crispy.

Notes

A note on the feta cheese

I usually try to use a soft feta cheese like Danish feta (available here in Australia), but any kind is fine. If you like you can even experiment with a different type of cheese, like Mexican queso or Greek anthotiro. Let me know how you get on if you do this!

A note on the pastry

Drape a damp tea towel over the unused pastry while you’re constructing your pies – so it doesn’t dry out!

A note on what else to mix into your cheese mixture

I usually add either Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese to my mashed feta cheese. I prefer to use Greek yogurt because I think the pie filling ends up a bit softer/moister, but both options work well!
Although none of these things are traditionally added to Greek cheese pies, there are no rules to say you can’t add some of these things to your pies:
chopped sun dried tomatoes
mashed sweet potato or butternut squash
wilted spinach, squeezed and chopped finely
grated parmesan cheese for extra tang (I do this sometimes – great if you think you’d prefer a really cheesy pie!)

A note on the olive oil

Olive oil seems to get everywhere when I’m making these, so I usually find I don’t need to brush any more over the top of the pies before I put them in the oven.

A note on assembling the pies

It’s a bit of a messy business to be honest, and sometimes my pastry tears in places and bits of cheese ooze out of the pies. That’s totally OK! It’s even OK if bits of cheese filling ooze out during cooking. It all adds to the truly delicious look!

A note on making the pies ahead

If you’d like to make these cheese pies ahead for a party or event, simply freeze them raw on baking trays in a single layer. When they’ve frozen, transfer them to Ziploc bags and freeze.
You can cook straight from frozen – just add a little onto the cooking time. You’ll see when the pies are done. They’ll be light golden and crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 169mgPotassium: 27mgVitamin A: 60IUCalcium: 63mgIron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know if you liked it!

By Helen all recipes, appetizers, Baby & kid friendly, breakfast, Christmas, Greek, Mediterranean, party food, vegetarian

Comments

  1. Eleni Holeva says

    28 Nov 19 at 1:52 am

    The correct term for this cheese triangles is ” Tiropitakia ” because they are small. The term ” Tiropita ” used when we do the pie in the pan . Actually it means Chesse pie and little cheese pies. This are the little cheese pies. Also a really good feta cheese you can find it at Bj’s if you live in state of NY imported from Greece which means that is original . Olymbos feta cheese is the brand. I live in Rochester NY . In the city of NY you can go to the Greek supermarket and there find original Greek feta cheese as well. I insist because the flavor of the cheese makes the difference. Tiropita we call anything that is covered with fillo dough and includes feta cheese or mix 3 or 4 different types of cheese, eggs at list 4 or 5 organic is better, pepper and yogurt. This is the basic. I am Greek fillo pies is my knowledge while I grow up with them ! A lot of different recipes. Also we fry them.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      01 Dec 19 at 8:10 am

      Hi Eleni! Thank you so much for the information. I always really appreciate hearing proper Greek feedback on my recipes! I also really like the idea of mixing several types of cheese in a cheese pie. I’m in Australia. We can get Greek cheeses here but you have to really look for them! We can get authentic Greek feta though which is great! Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  2. Mimi says

    04 Jan 19 at 9:04 pm

    These are beautiful. It’s been ages since I’ve used phyllo dough. Why?? I have no idea!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      07 Jan 19 at 1:09 pm

      Hi! Happy New Year! Yes, it’s one of those things that you always think will be difficult to use, but it isn’t really!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY! READ MORE >>


Trending!

A close up of crockpot chicken gnocchi soup in a white bowl

Easy crockpot chicken gnocchi soup (Olive Garden copycat, with pressure cooker version!)

A close-up of a piece of 6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake (kladdkaka)

6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake (kladdkaka)

I rarely claim anything to be 'the best' but these really are THE BEST GREEK POTATOES!

The best Greek potatoes (with a video)

Easy 'magic' lemon pudding (only 5 ingredients)

Easy magic lemon pudding (5 ingredients, no eggs)

Greek yogurt blueberry muffins - a light, airy and delicious recipe!

Greek yogurt blueberry muffins (low sugar recipe)

A small stack of crispy halloumi fries with more in a dish in the background

Crispy halloumi fries (and dips!)

In season!

Sticky apple ginger cake bars - a much simpler alternative to traditional Christmas cake!

Sticky apple and ginger cake

Leftover turkey, bacon and brussels sprouts macaroni cheese (Christmas macaroni!)

Leftover turkey pasta bake with bacon and brussels sprouts

Someone serving themselves from a dish of crispy brussels sprouts with tahini sauce and almonds

Crispy brussels sprouts with tahini sauce and almonds

Greek Christmas honey cookies. You won't be able to eat just one. Delicious!

Greek Christmas honey cookies (melomakarona)

More seasonal recipes

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases. Posts may contain affiliate links.

Copyright ©2021, Scrummy Lane. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs