Phyllo Meat Pies (Egyptian Goulash)

Hey all! Hope you are having a great week so far. Don’t worry; a long holiday weekend awaits you soon!

Okay, so I love phyllo dough but I was always intimidated to work with it because of how delicate it is. Our family friend is Egyptian, and I would always request this dish from her on any special occasions whether stuffed with meat or spinach & cheese. It tastes amazing! I cannot wait for you try it for yourself. The phyllo dough is so flaky yet crispy and buttery. The meat is spiced and mixed in with onions, mushrooms, and olives. It is the perfect bite in your mouth.

Let me tell you how to overcome the fear of the phyllo! All you need to do is lay the phyllo dough between two damp towels while using it. This will keep it from drying out. Also just be gentle when handling it. A few of mine ripped but can you tell? Probably not; so it is okay!

 

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 9 pieces

Ingredients

16 oz. phyllo dough package

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 egg

1/2 cup heavy cream

Meat filling

1 lb ground beef

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp paprika

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tsp all spice

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped green olives

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Gently lay the thawed phyllo dough between two damp kitchen towels.
• Start working on the meat filling. In a saute pan on medium heat, add the olive oil and then add the chopped onions. Stir for 3 minutes then add the ground beef. Cook for about 10 mix till meat is browned. If there is too much fat or liquid at the bottom of the pan, drain the beef of its liquid and then return to heat. Add the spices and diced mushrooms and olives. Cook for another 5 minutes till well combined.
• On a lightly greased pan, lay 4 pieces of phyllo dough. Fold any excess dough inwards. Using the oil and butter mixture, brush it on top of every phyllo dough layer. Keep repeating this step till about 1/2 of the phyllo dough has been used up. This will be the base.
• Then add the meat mixture. Gently Spread evenly on top of the piled phyllo.
• Layer the rest of the phyllo dough like before on top of the meat mixture making sure to butter & oil each layer.
• Brush the top with a generous amount of the oil and butter and cut the phyllo into squares desired. This will make it easier to eat and not fall apart layer on.
• Salt & Pepper the egg and heavy cream mixture with salt and pepper and evenly coat over the pie.
• Bake the phyllo meat pie for 45 minutes till golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy 🙂