Chicken, Spinach and Dried Cranberry Phyllo Pie

Dreamer in Ontario's Note:

Source: Anne Lindsay's New Light Cooking According to the author this recipe is a favorite of Toronto caterers Caroline McRobbie and Laurien Trowell of C'est Cheese Encore. All it needs is a salad and some crusty bread. TIP: For 2 cups of cooked, cubed chicken, microwave 2 large chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb), loosely covered, for 7 minutes on high or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 12 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 47 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 1.0 pie

• 1 1/4 cups 2% evaporated milk
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
• 2 (300 g) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 egg
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (see tip in recipe description)
• 4 sheets phyllo pastry
• nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Whisk milk with flour in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring, until thickened.
2. Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg; let cool slightly.
3. Drain spinach and squeeze out water.
4. Using a nonstick skillet, melt 1 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat and cook the spinach, garlic, pine nuts & cranberries, stirring, until garlic begins to colour (about 5 minutes).
5. Stir egg into milk mixture then stir into spinach mixture along with the chicken.
6. Melt remaining butter.
7. Spray pie plate with nonstick spray.
8. Cut phyllo in half crosswise and drape across pie plate so 1/3 overhangs the plate.
9. Brush lightly with butter and press into plate.
10. Repeat with each sheet, layering and fanning sheets to overlap slightly and evenly cover pie plate.
11. Spoon filling into pastry then fold edges over filling to form 2 1/2 inch border.(if making ahead pie can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 hours at this point).
12. Place pie on baking sheet, cover lightly with foil and bake in 375F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until pastry is golden.
13. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[EM32]

Loved this recipe! I actually did not have a pie pan, (in the middle of moving ) so used more of a baking pan.. The presentation did not look as good as the picture but it tasted delicious! I would probably use a bit more garlic next time and maybe try Craisins instead of Cranberries! Definitely would make again

[yogiclarebear]

This was really great. I had to improvise with reconstituted dry milk because I did not have evaporated milk. I worked just fine, and I also added shredded parmesan to the top of the pie before I topped it with a few more sheets of phyllo. Great recipe, nice presentation!