This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Greek cheese triangle pies are also called Tiropita. Flaky, buttery phyllo pastry is filled with a savory cheese filling and folded into delectable little packages. These will be the favorite appetizer at your next party. They can easily be made weeks in advance and frozen before baking.
Why we celebrate Easter
Greek Orthodox Easter will be celebrated on April 8th this year. Whether you celebrated Easter last week or you are preparing for a celebration this weekend, the reason for Easter is still the same. Easter is all about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
His Death
The death of Jesus Christ is important. His death was payment for our sins. Not everyone thinks they have sin but sin is anything that falls short of God’s righteousness. Considering God’s standards for righteousness, we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
No matter how good we try to be, we are sinners in God’s view. And all sin has a penalty. Romans 6:23 tells us that the punishment for sin is death. But God is just and fair and he sent His Son, Jesus to pay the penalty on the cross for anyone who believes in Him and puts their trust in Him. Because he is the eternal, and righteous Son of God, he has the power to pay for our sins with his death
His Resurrection
According to 1 Corinthians 15:17, the death of Jesus does not mean anything without his resurrection. His resurrection is the victory over death. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that his death was the sufficient payment for our sins. His resurrection is the proof and our confidence that we too can experience a resurrection and eternal life after death.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says that “God made Jesus, who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in him, we might become the righteousness of Christ.” That means when he died, he took our sin on himself. In exchange for our sin, he gave us his righteousness so that we can have a right standing with God. This righteousness or right standing allows us to enter into a direct relationship with God.
All this is a free gift from God. We don’t have to do anything to have the penalty paid and receive his righteousness except put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 says “if you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”
So whether you celebrated Easter last weekend or you are celebrating it on the Greek Orthodox calendar, Easter is all about the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you have not put your faith in Jesus you can do that today and receive his power of eternal life.
Greek Cheese Triangle Pies or Tiropita
Now, if you came here for the recipe, you should know a little about working with phyllo dough. It is actually easier than it looks.
Working with Phyllo dough
Don’t be intimidated by working with phyllo dough. Yes, the tissue-thin sheets of dough can dry out quickly and tear easily, but if you handle them correctly, they are easy to use. And even if they do dry out or split, they can usually be salvaged enough so that no-one will ever know.
First of all, it is best to thaw the phyllo out in the refrigerator. It is also important to leave the package sealed until you are ready to use it. Once the package is open, unroll the phyllo dough and then immediately cover the stack of dough with plastic wrap. Place a damp towel on top of the plastic wrap.
The damp towel will hold the plastic down firmly and let in just enough moisture to prevent the phyllo sheets from drying out. You don’t want to place a damp towel directly on the phyllo sheets because it will get them too wet and make them stick together.
As you work with the phyllo, only remove one or two sheets at a time and keep the rest covered. If some of the sheets break as you work with them, just stack the broken sheets on top of an intact, buttered sheet. Once the little triangles are rolled up, you will never be able to tell that there was a problem.
Some other recipes you might like:
- Heirloom Tomato Napoleon with Maytag Blue Cheese
- Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki)
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Feta Cheese
- Smoked Salmon Torta
Have you made Tiropita or Greek cheese triangle pies? Tag us on Instagram because we would love to see a picture.
Did you try this recipe? Please take a moment to leave a star rating and comment below.
Pin this now to find it later!
Pin ItGreek Cheese Triangle Pies (Tiropita)
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese, 6 ounces
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 5 ounces
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese, 6 ounces
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
For the Triangle Pies:
- 20 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed (about 8 ounces) (9”x14”)
- 6 to 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
- Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the counter and brush it with the melted butter. Place another layer of phyllo dough on top and brush it with the melted butter.
- Cut the stack of phyllo sheets in 3 long strips (approximately 3 inches wide and 14 inches long)
- Place 1 tablespoon of the filling at the end of each strip of layered phyllo dough.
- Starting at the end with the filling, fold the corner over to make a triangle. Continue folding the triangle over onto itself until you get to the end of the strip.
- Continue with the rest of the phyllo and filling to make approximately 30 triangle pies.
- Place the triangles on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you try this recipe? Please take a moment to leave a star rating and comment below.
Pin this now to find it later!
Pin ItGreek Cheese Triangle Pies (Tiropita)
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese, 6 ounces
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 5 ounces
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese, 6 ounces
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
For the Triangle Pies:
- 20 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed (about 8 ounces) (9”x14”)
- 6 to 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
- Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the counter and brush it with the melted butter. Place another layer of phyllo dough on top and brush it with the melted butter.
- Cut the stack of phyllo sheets in 3 long strips (approximately 3 inches wide and 14 inches long)
- Place 1 tablespoon of the filling at the end of each strip of layered phyllo dough.
- Starting at the end with the filling, fold the corner over to make a triangle. Continue folding the triangle over onto itself until you get to the end of the strip.
- Continue with the rest of the phyllo and filling to make approximately 30 triangle pies.
- Place the triangles on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this for a Mediterranean inspired meal. It was fantastic! Thanks for this delicious recipe. I’m making it again for Easter, maybe this time I’ll get to have a second helping 🙂
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you enjoyed them. They make great appetizers for Easter.
You keep saying Phyllo”dough” and I accidentally bought puff pastry. Please specify the difference.
Puff pastry is a thin sheet of pastry and it looks similar to pie dough but it is flakier, lighter, and more buttery than pie dough. Phyllo dough comes in a stack of paper-thin sheets of dough. The thin sheets of dough need to be layered on top of each other with melted butter in between the layers. When you bake phyllo dough it gets super flaky and crispy. You can see how thin the phyllo dough is in my video.
This is the first time I head about Tiropita but it sure looks delicious and easy to make. I would have to agree this would make a great appetizer. Will definitely try this soon. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Thank you Sheila, I appreciate your comment and hope you enjoy them