Cheese Triangles (Tiropita)

Cheese Triangles are buttery, flaky, savory triangle shaped pastries filled with a cheese mixture and baked until golden brown.

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Cheese Triangles are a fantastic appetizer for dinner parties or holidays. You can make them ahead of time, freeze them (they freeze very well) and bake when ready. I encourage you to try these cheese triangles at your next party.

Ingredients for Cheese Triangles

• 16 ounces of cottage cheese, small curd
  
• 1 cup feta cheese, grated
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1 stick of butter, melted
  
• 8 ounces of (9×14) phyllo sheets, thawed per package directions

My Yia-Yia would make these beautiful triangle packages for Christmas and Greek Easter. I remember, vividly, how she would come out of the kitchen with a plate piled high with Cheese Triangles, napkins and small paper plates. I felt like my family became baby birds waiting for their mother to come and feed us. You could hear the crunch of the golden brown phyllo dough as we ate them and the waving of hands in front of mouths because “they” had zero patience to let them cool, slightly. I always had the patience….

How to make Cheese Triangles

Start by preheating your oven to 400ºF. While the oven is preheating, grab a large bowl and grate the feta cheese into it. Feta cheese is soft, so while you are grating it, some pieces will break off and that’s ok. I just kind of smash and rub them into the grater.

Next add in the cottage cheese, egg, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined and set aside while you prepare the phyllo dough.

What is Phyllo Dough

I just recently learned that phyllo means “leaf”. You learn something new everyday!!

Phyllo Dough are very thin sheets made from unleavened dough.The sheets are layered with butter and when baked, you get a wonderful crisp flaky texture throughout.

Steps to prepare the Phyllo Dough

Phyllo Dough is a bit delicate but with a little bit of patience and practice you’ll be able to do this in your sleep! You just need to make sure you follow some important steps.

Step 1:

Start by cleaning an area that you will be using to make the Cheese Triangles. Next, tear off a piece of plastic wrap and set aside. I hang mine off the counter until I am ready for it. Now, take a kitchen towel and dampen it with water. You don’t want the towel sopping wet, just damp.

Step 2:

Remove the Phyllo Dough from its sleeve and carefully unroll. When unrolling the sheets make sure the shorter end is closet to you. You will most likely see, as you start unrolling, that there are already some tears in the phyllo. It’s all good. The first couple aren’t always in the best condition but you can still use them. And I promise you that nobody will find out that there is a tear in their Cheese Triangle.

Step 3:

Once unrolled, take a sharp knife and cut 3 vertical rows (3 inches wide). Keep one hand on the sheets so they don’t tear while you are cutting them. I do this step twice because more than likely, you didn’t cut all the way through the sheets and you don’t want to deal with that when you are making the triangles.

Step 4:

This next step is probably the most important. Now that your phyllo sheets are ready you need to cover them up. Remember the plastic wrap that is hanging out somewhere in your kitchen? Use it to cover up the phyllo dough and place the dampened kitchen towel over the Saran Wrap. Phew…the phyllo dough is safe! This step is really important because it stops the phyllo dough from getting dry and brittle which makes it impossible to work with.

Pep Talk Time

You will absolutely run into tears on the sheets especially the first couple on the top as well as the last couple on the bottom. With that being said, butter can become your best friend here, as it acts like glue. If you think a piece is worth saving, glue the sheet back together. Just don’t over do it on the butter. A little goes a long way. And listen, as long as you end up with something that looks like triangle, no matter how you got there, it’s all good. Just remember, looks aren’t everything.

Cheese Triangle Assembly

Start by melting the stick of butter. While the butter is melting grab a pastry brush and a large baking sheet, (or smaller ones) lined with parchment paper. Once the butter is melted, it’s time to start forming the triangles. All ingredients get into formation! Phyllo dough, CHECK! Melted butter, CHECK! Cheese mixture, CHECK! Large baking tray lined with parchment paper, CHECK! The more organized you are, the easier this will go. Come on, let’s get our Cheese Triangle on!!!

How to fold a Cheese Triangle

Take the towel and Saran Wrap and fold over to uncover the first row of the phyllo sheets. Carefully brush, I think dabbing is a better description here, the layer of phyllo dough with the butter. If you brush too hard the phyllo dough will rip. I always have a couple of fingers holding down the phyllo while dabbing the butter so it doesn’t tear.

Take about a teaspoon of the cheese mixture and place it on the bottom of the phyllo (closest to you). Take a corner and carefully pick up the phyllo sheet and fold it over diagonally. Next, take the bottom corner and fold it upwards, repeating these steps until your triangle is formed. Take a look at the picture steps below.

Set the cheese triangle on the lined baking sheet and repeat.

Once you are done with the first row, uncover the second row when you are ready. Remember to always cover the phyllo dough that you are not working with so it doesn’t dry out.

All depending on the brand of phyllo dough you use, will depend on how much you yield. I use the ATHENS BRAND and each 8 ounce roll has 18 sheets, therefore yielding 54. However I can honestly say that even up to this very day I haven’t ended up with 54. EVER. You will make plenty, don’t worry.

Are you Baking or Freezing the Cheese Triangles?

If you are baking the cheese triangles right away, brush the cheese triangles with a little bit of melted butter and bake them for 10 minutes or until a beautiful golden brown. Serve warm.

If you are freezing the cheese triangles, place the baking sheets in the freezer until they are frozen. Place frozen cheese triangles in a freezer ziplock baggie or a container. When ready to bake them, heat the oven to 375ºF. Brush the frozen cheese triangles (no need to thaw) with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes or so.

If you are really intimidated by working with phyllo dough, please try making my SPANAKOPITA recipe. The sheets remain whole and it’s great practice for handling phyllo dough.~Christina