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Greek-Style Spinach, Feta & Polenta Pie

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Think of this dish as a cross between baked polenta, a quiche, and a frittata.

Greek-style spinach, feta, and polenta pie in a baking dish.

Inspired by a recipe from Diana Henry’s lovely cookbook From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves, this recipe is based on a Greek dish called kourkouto, a simple and savory “pie” that replaces the phyllo dough in a traditional phyllo pie with a batter made from eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt, and cornmeal. Think of it as a cross between baked polenta, a quiche, and a frittata — and since this version is filled with spinach, feta, and dill, it has spanakopita vibes. It’s a uniquely delicious (and easy!) vegetarian main course that’s perfect for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner.

What You’ll Need To Make Spinach, Feta & Polenta Pie

spinach, feta and polenta pie ingredients

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add the spinach.

wilting spinach in pan

Cook, tossing frequently, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Skillet of wilted spinach.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, polenta, garlic, salt and pepper.

eggs, yogurt, and polenta in mixing bowl

Whisk until smooth, then add the feta, pecorino Romano, and dill, and whisk until evenly combined.

adding cheeses and herbs

Add the wilted spinach to the batter.

adding wilted spinach to egg batter

Stir until combined.

Greek spinach pie batter

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish or pie pan.

ready to bake

Bake until just set and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes.

fresh out of the oven

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Greek-style spinach, feta, and polenta pie in a baking dish.

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Greek-Style Spinach, Feta & Polenta Pie

Think of this dish as a cross between baked polenta, a quiche, and a frittata.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 6 ounces baby spinach (about 6 packed cups)
  • 5 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt (low-fat works too)
  • ¼ cup instant polenta
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 1.5-qt baking dish (mine is an oval that measures about 9 x 7 inches) or 9-inch pie pan with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
  2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing frequently, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, polenta, garlic, salt and pepper; whisk until smooth. Add the feta, pecorino Romano, and dill, and whisk until evenly combined. Stir in the wilted spinach.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish or pie pan, and bake until just set and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 382
  • Fat: 27 g
  • Saturated fat: 11 g
  • Carbohydrates: 13 g
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 21 g
  • Sodium: 554 mg
  • Cholesterol: 273 mg

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.

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Comments

  • Delicious! I’ve just made it for the second time. It’s good hot out of the oven or slightly warmed in the microwave. So easy and fast. I can imagine making a bigger batch in a cake pan to serve as small appetizer squares at room temperature.

    • — Renee B on February 13, 2024
    • Reply
  • Delicious! I had to order the instant polenta online. I cooked it in the morning for lunch later, but ended up having a warm piece for breakfast. I added a sautéed shallot. I am going to try this with eggplant next.

    • — Cynthia on February 6, 2024
    • Reply
  • Do you think adding a little baking soda would puff it up a bit? I followed recipe exactly and it was delicious, but was only about a half inch thick. Used oval casserole about 9×7. Would appreciate your thoughts.

    • — Pat on January 31, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Pat, if you want to add something to this, I’d add a little baking powder instead of baking soda. Keep in mind that although it will puff up in the oven, it will deflate once it cools. If you’d like something thicker, I’d either make one and a half times the recipe or use a smaller dish. Glad you enjoyed it and nevertheless!

      • — Jenn on February 1, 2024
      • Reply
  • Can coarse ground cornmeal be substituted for the instant polenta?

    • — Mary M on January 29, 2024
    • Reply
    • I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!

      • — Jenn on January 29, 2024
      • Reply
  • Made this for my mom, who is temporarily on a soft foods-only diet. Huge hit. A lot of flavor, while still obtaining the texture we need for her diet. I cooked the pie in a 9-inch pie dish, with my dedicated oven thermometer indicating a temperature of 350 degrees, but the dish took 30 minutes to set in the center.

    • — Laura on January 28, 2024
    • Reply
  • Amazing. Followed recipe exactly. Used regular polenta but let it soak in mixture for a while before cooking. Sooo good and I’m already thinking of variations. Roasted poblanos and cheese. Sautéed mushrooms with thyme.

    • — Laura in Sonoma on January 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • Lovely! I cooked the spinach only for a few stirs. And I did not have enough pecorino (only half) but did not miss it – did add a tiny bit more salt – what a lovely recipe!

    • — afracooking on September 24, 2023
    • Reply
  • This worked out with putting my polenta in processor to make smaller particles as suggested on the website. It was delicious. It was served with a fresh greek salad, and Grilled Mediterranean chicken skewers, cooked and seasoned in Costco which are delicious.

    • — Debbie Obermeyer on July 18, 2023
    • Reply
  • I have 2 questions: what would you substitute for dill (someone is allergic) and, if you doubled the recipe, would you make it in a 9×13 dish? Thanks!

    • — Karen on June 24, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Karen, You could use fresh tarragon or flat-leaf parsley in place of the dill. And, yes, you can use a 9 x 13 baking dish if you double it. The baking time should be about the same but keep an eye on it. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on June 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • LOVED it! I didn’t have quick cooking polenta, so I placed some regular polenta in the food processor to break it down. The inside was creamy and the dill was just amazing. I also used fresh chopped spinach. Will definitely make this again.

    • — Dianne on June 14, 2023
    • Reply
  • I haven’t made this yet, but I am looking forward to making it this week. My problem is that my husband bought whole milk plain yogurt, not greek yogurt. Can I still use it in the recipe or should I pick up the greek yogurt?
    Thank you Jenn for all of your recipes (website and both books). I make a Jenn recipe at least twice a week.
    Kindly,
    Cathy

    • — Cathy on February 12, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Cathy, I think you can get away with the regular yogurt here. I’d love to know how it turns out!

      • — Jenn on February 13, 2023
      • Reply
  • Has anyone used quick cooking grits instead of the instant polenta?
    Looks like its on the list for the next Sunday gathering.

    • — Becky Turner on January 9, 2023
    • Reply
  • I’m about to make this for the first time, for a brunch on New Year morning. For people having trouble finding Instant Polenta, in my market it was in a section just next to the boxed pasta. Don’t know if that’s true everywhere, but maybe it will help some folks.
    Happy New Year (2023) Jenn and all.

    • — Peggy on December 31, 2022
    • Reply
  • I have made it several times and it is really good. Can I freeze it?

    • — Patricia Ketchum on November 1, 2022
    • Reply
    • Glad you like it! I’ve never frozen it before, but I think you could. 🙂

      • — Jenn on November 1, 2022
      • Reply
  • I made this with Bob’s Red Mill “Yellow Corn Grits also known as Polenta” and frozen organic spinach. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Baked in an 8.5 inch square Corning Ware dish. I didn’t cook the spinach. Instead I rinsed it in a colander and allowed it to dry as I got the rest of the ingredients together. Then I rolled the spinach in a towel to remove excess moisture before adding to the mixture. Served with bacon, baby red potatoes in butter/garlic sauce and a lemon vinaigrette salad. What a delicious meal this was. The crustless quiche was the star. It made enough for 2 meals for the two of us. Thanks so much for the recipe!

    • — Kathryn on September 15, 2022
    • Reply
  • Very rare that I leave anything other than a 5 for Jenn’s recipes. I liked, but don’t think I’ll make again. Was very pretty, easy to make, and think I’ll enjoy for a light breakfast tomorrow!

    • — Sue on August 5, 2022
    • Reply
  • Great flavor! Based on other comments, and since I couldn’t find instant polenta, I used “regular” polenta. I used the amount of polenta called for in the recipe. After stirring everything together, though, I decided I would add about 3 tablespoons of half and half to the mixture to thin it just a bit. I checked the pie after 25 minutes and the center wasn’t cooked so I cooked it 15 more minutes and it was set. I’m going to continue looking for the instant polenta, but since several people have asked if they can use “regular” polenta, I feel the answer is yes. (NOTE: I don’t know if the cooking time took longer due to the addition of the half and half or the elevation at which I live, which is about 5100 ft.)

    • — Janice on May 6, 2022
    • Reply
  • Can I add drained crumbled saugage to the recipe?

    • — jo on May 5, 2022
    • Reply
    • Sure, Jo, that should work. I’d love to hear how it comes out!

      • — Jenn on May 5, 2022
      • Reply
  • Made this for a dinner we were hosting. One of the guests is gluten free and vegetarian so finding something that everyone can enjoy can be a challenge. Jen came through again! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe! I followed the recipe exactly. It can be mixed beforehand and cooked later.

    • — Jan on April 10, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn-
    Will it be okay if I refrigerate the mixture and bake the next day?

    • Sure, that should be fine. Enjoy!

  • I did make this recipe. It was very delicious. One thing I dont really use salt. So I will leave ouI the salt next time around, the cheese has enough. All your recipes are so amazing. I eat strictly kosher so you have plenty for me to choose from.
    Thank you!

  • Hi Jenn,
    Thanks you for all your delicious recipes! I want to make this dish but have only Palmetto Farms White Grits. How would I adapt thus recipe since mine are not instant grits.
    Jean

    • Hi Jean. You really need instant polenta for this recipe; I’m sorry!

  • This is amazing! great flavor and so easy to make! Love that it is low carb and full of fresh flavors!

  • This recipe is wonderful, exactly as written. It’s easy to make, uses ingredients I usually have on hand, doesn’t take much time, and my husband an I agree it’s delicious out of the oven and reheated the next day. Another plus is that it really works well for special breakfast/brunch, lunch or dinner. Yum! Making it again tonight.

  • I have to add to all the 5 Star comments. I made this recipe for brunch with friends. We all raved about it. Only addition I made was a diced shallot with the spinach. But you can add mushrooms, peppers to enhance it too. The flavors were amazing. The combination of feta and romano was genius. Definitely a keeper.

  • I would describe this dish as a crustless quiche that is a delicious and easy all-in-one dinner. I’ve made this twice, and it’s a new home favorite! It can be, as Chef Jenn notes, served hot at or room temperature. I’m considering adding a variation of this dish to my commercial menus.
    I didn’t have instant polenta—actually, I didn’t know it existed—so I used some fine-ground cornmeal instead. And rather than use the dill, which can be a little overpowering, I topped the quiche with a bit of freshly-ground nutmeg.
    A note on the Pecorino Romano cheese: This is a sheep’s milk cheese with a relatively low melting point and a sharp, salty flavor. I doubt that Parmigiano-Reggiano, or worse, supermarket “Parmesan” would be an acceptable substitute.
    A note on the cooking time, which can vary a great deal depending on altitude: I live at over 6,000 feet, so fully baking the quiche took 40 minutes.
    Chef Jeff, Park City, Utah.

    • — Jeffery Gainer
    • Reply
  • Fantastic! Leftovers were great too. I used regular polenta and cook time was sufficient. Quick and on repeat.

  • Recipe was perfect, not a single tiny bit was left as my family loved all of it. Easy to make, and pretty to look at – what’s not to like about this, another great recipe from Once upon a chef Jenn!

  • Super delicious. The consistency of the quiche held together really well. Great flavor, too.

    • — Julie Romanski
    • Reply
    • I didn’t have the polenta called for but used the cornmeal I had in house (Red Mill’s Medium Ground). I used 5 ounces of frozen spinach heated in the oil in a large skillet until no steam came out of it otherwise followed the recipe. The flavor of pie was very good and not too salty but at room temperature it was more solid than I liked. I will try less regular cornmeal next time.

      • — Barbara T on August 18, 2022
      • Reply
  • I have made this recipe in every possible iteration…with sautéed cubes of zucchini, with sundried tomatoes and spinach, with asparagus, with sautéed red pepper and onion…it’s GREAT every time! (I even use fat free feta and fat free Greek yogurt when I’m making it for myself Weight Watchers friendly…and it’s still delish!)

    LOVE that it comes together in 5 minutes in one bowl.

    Great for brunch, reheated for breakfast or with soup and salad for dinner!

  • I’ve made this several times and love it. I am going to serve it at a family brunch and am wondering what you think would go well with it. Any ideas would be appreciated!

    • — Cassandra Hanson
    • Reply
    • Hi Cassandra, Glad you like this! It would pair nicely with a fruit salad. I have a few different options that you can check out on this page. Depending on hearty you want the additional dish to be, you could also consider this baked oatmeal. Hope that helps and that everyone enjoys whatever you choose!

  • This is a delicious, satisfying, meatless main that I’ll be making again and again. I followed the recipe exactly, but substituted dried dill as it was here on the shelf. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for another great recipe!

  • Jenn: I just made this recipe this morning and it is SO delicious. I couldn’t find the Pecorino Romano at my grocery store (they usually carry it but were out) so I substituted Asiago and it was really nice.
    Great Recipe!!!

    • — Pamela Harriman
    • Reply
  • I just found Instant Polenta on Amazon.

    • — Pamela C Harriman
    • Reply
  • There must be a substitute for the instant polenta because I went to several stores and could only find regular polenta. Any suggestion? I’d love to make this but I am frustrated that I can’t find this ingredient, and the recipe only calls for 1/4 of a cup. Please help 🙂

    • I bought the Instant Polenta today and it refers to it as instant corn flour?

  • Where have you found instant polenta locally? We’re having trouble finding it.

    Thank you!

    • Hi Heidi, I’ve found it at Giant (it’s in the Italian section as opposed to near the cornmeal). Hope you’re able to find it!

    • I buy mine at an Italian grocery store (Bossa foods) in the city I live (Vancouver BC)

      • — Colleen on September 27, 2022
      • Reply
  • I love this recipe. I make it almost every week. I cut it in half and eat it for dinner one day and breakfast the next day.

    Sometimes I add sliced mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes or other vegetables.

    Thanks for such a great recipe.

  • Can I use regular polenta, maybe already cooked, instead of instant polenta in this dish.

    • Hi Niels, I can’t confidently tell you how it will turn out or how to convert this to use regular polenta – I’m sorry! If I test it out at some point, I will add a note to the recipe.

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