Greek Spinach & Rice Pie
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Think of this Greek spinach pie with feta and rice as spanakopita’s easier, more laid-back cousin—no phyllo, no fuss, and it takes just 20 minutes to get it into the oven.
With garlicky spinach and feta, this frittata-like spinach pie has definite spanakopita vibes. Brown rice in the filling makes it a little heartier than your typical egg dish, and it’s a delicious way to use up leftover rice you may have in the fridge. If you don’t happen to have leftover rice on hand, microwave rice or store-bought frozen rice all work nicely too (Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice is a great option). Or, if you want to change things up a bit, you can swap the brown rice for white rice, wild rice, or even orzo pasta. Serve the pie for brunch, lunch, a picnic (it’s great at room temperature), or a light dinner.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE SPINACH, RICE, AND FETA PIE
To make this Greek spinach and rice pie, you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, yellow onion, garlic, frozen chopped spinach, eggs, salt, pepper, heavy cream, cooked brown rice, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh dill.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes—don’t let it brown, reducing the heat if necessary. Add the garlic and spinach, stir until well combined with the onion, and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Pro tip: Frozen spinach holds a surprising amount of water. Make sure to squeeze it as dry as possible before adding it to the pan — wringing it out in a clean kitchen towel or pressing it firmly in a fine mesh strainer both work well. Any excess moisture will water down your filling.
Step 2: Make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and heavy cream. Add the rice, feta, dill, and onion-spinach mixture and stir until evenly combined.
Step 3: Bake and serve. Pour the egg mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, making sure the filling is evenly distributed. Bake until set and just starting to brown around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pie can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Freeze for longer storage.
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Greek Spinach & Rice Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 8 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup leftover or cooked brown rice
- 1¼ cups (about 5.5 oz) crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill (or 1 tablespoon dried)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 9-in (23 cm) deep-dish pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary. Add the garlic and spinach and cook, stirring until well combined with the onion, for about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper, and heavy cream. Add the rice, feta, dill, and onion-spinach mixture, and stir until evenly combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into the prepared pie pan, making sure the filling is distributed evenly. Bake until set and just starting to brown around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Oh my goodness! This was absolutely delicious. Definitely will be making it again. I already shared the recipe with several friends. Thank you so much.
The only thing I forgot to add to the mixture was the dill, so I just sprinkled it on the top. Best thing is it easily came out of the pie plate serving it.
We really liked this – followed the recipe as written other than using cheddar instead of feta (personal preference) and half & half for heavy cream to reduce the saturated fat. Perfect for a light dinner, with leftovers! I really appreciate the clear instructions in your recipes and the notes are also helpful. Will definitely make this again!
We *loved* this. Delicious and totally different from anything else we’ve tried. Could you mix and match herbs and cheeses? Maybe parsley and gruyere/cheddar? Goat cheese and chives? Fontina and thyme?
Sure (and so glad you liked it)!
Excellent…. Just added 1/2 c of Parmesan….Jenn all your recipes are really great…
Company worthy recipe. We enjoyed this pie and easy to make ahead.
My husband and I loved this. Very forgiving recipe – I didn’t have cream or dill so I threw in a full fat yogurt based herb dip that I had made and just as much leftover rice as I had on hand. Served with a salad and leftovers were just as delicious
Delicious! Fantastic! Magnificent! Thank you, Chef Jenn for another wonderful recipe. We are lucky to have you!
This is delicious and I will be making it again. I used leftover Jasmine Rice and dried dill weed. I think fresh dill weed would make it even better.
Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
I have beautiful fresh spinach from a local farmer on hand. Any suggestions for using that instead of frozen. Maybe blanche or steam before adding?
Hi Jane, fresh spinach will work here. I’d blanch, steam, or saute it first and wring out any excess liquid. You’ll need about 1.5 lb fresh spinach. I’d love to hear how it comes out!
This was so good! And easy. I was lacking all the ingredients, but was able to sub for the cream a mix of coconut cream and sour cream, and for 1/2 of the feta, I had to sub pepper jack. I look forward to the full Greek version in the future, and enjoyed this one just the same. Thank you, Jenn.