Feta Filo Parcels With Honey

A close-up of a square feta filo parcel on a white plate with sesame seeds and honey sprinkled on top and a fork, with a bottle of ouzo in the background.

4.31 from 13 votes

Feta Filo Parcels With Honey

Make your own version of this classic Greek appetizer of feta cheese and honey wrapped in crispy filo pastry. Serve with a glass of ouzo or white wine on the side. Who needs to go to the Mediterranean when the Mediterranean can come to you?

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: as an appetizer or little snack

Author: Helen Schofield

Ingredients

7 ounces feta cheese An authentic Greek brand is always a good choice.
¼ cup olive oil roughly (you'll need enough to add 1 tablespoon to the cheese mixture and the rest is for brushing over the pies)
3 tablespoons honey (or to taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or substitute with 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves)
4 sheets filo pastry large (my sheets are around 17 inches x 11 inches - if yours are smaller simply use them as they are, without cutting them in half)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
fresh crusty bread to serve optional

cups/ounces - grams/ml

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 390F/200C.
Mash the feta with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the honey and the oregano.
7 ounces feta cheese, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Lay one sheet of filo pastry onto your work surface and brush it lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet directly on top. Cut the sheets in half across the width. Repeat this with the remaining two sheets of filo so that you have 4 rectangles of pastry.
4 sheets filo pastry, ¼ cup olive oil
Spoon one quarter of the feta mixture into the centre of each piece of pastry. Fold the long edges in across the filling to enclose it. Then fold the short edges into the centre, too, so that the cheese is wrapped up like a parcel. It doesn't have to be perfectly folded!
Brush the parcels lightly all over with olive oil, and bake them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Or, if you prefer, pan-fry them for a couple of minutes on each side, again until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until they are a light golden brown. Shake the pan often and keep a close eye on them so that they don't burn.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
If the honey is thick, warm it for 10 to 20 seconds in the microwave or by placing the bowl in another shallow bowl of hot water for a minute or so. Serve the hot crispy parcels with some of the warm honey drizzled over the top and some toasted sesame seeds scattered over. If you like, cut each parcel into squares before serving with fresh crusty bread on the side.
3 tablespoons honey, fresh crusty bread to serve

Notes

Cooking method: I usually bake these little feta filo parcels but you can also pan-fry them for a couple of minutes on each side in a few tablespoons of hot olive oil. This is the more traditional method of cooking them, but more hands-on.

Filo pastry: Keep the pastry sheets covered with a slightly damp clean tea towel until you're ready to use them to stop them drying out.

Serving ideas: Serve as an easy, tasty pre-dinner snack, as an appetizer for guests, or as part of a Greek 'mezze feast' with other Greek appetizers.

If you have time, I highly recommend making some of this homemade Greek village bread to go with your feta parcels.

Prepping ahead: You can prep these pies up to a few hours ahead. Simply store the folded parcels on a plate covered in the fridge. Then brush with oil just before baking.

Leftovers and freezing: You can store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat until golden and crispy again either in the oven (around 10 minutes at 350F/180C) or your air fryer (around 3 to 5 minutes at 330F/165C) if you have one.

If you'd like to make more pies and freeze them for another time, you can assemble them, then freeze wrapped individually in baking or parchment paper in an airtight container or in freezer bags. Don't brush with oil until just before cooking. If you like you can cook them straight from frozen. Just add 5 to 10 minutes onto the cooking time.

Nutrition