Serbian Layered Cheese Pie (Printable Version)

A golden Balkan pie with crispy phyllo and creamy cheese filling, perfect for a snack or light meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese Filling

01 - 1¼ cups cottage cheese
02 - ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
03 - 4 large eggs
04 - 7 tbsp plain yogurt
05 - 3 tbsp sunflower oil
06 - 3 tbsp sparkling water
07 - ½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Pastry

09 - 1 lb phyllo dough (approximately 12 sheets), thawed if frozen

→ Topping

10 - 2 tbsp sunflower oil for brushing
11 - 1 egg yolk (optional, for glazing)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish lightly with sunflower oil.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cottage cheese, feta, eggs, yogurt, sunflower oil, sparkling water, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
03 - Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the baking dish and brush lightly with sunflower oil. Repeat this process with two additional sheets, brushing each with oil.
04 - Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cheese mixture evenly over the layered phyllo.
05 - Continue layering phyllo sheets two to three at a time, brushing each with oil and spreading cheese filling between every few layers until all filling and dough are used. Finish with two sheets of phyllo on top.
06 - Generously brush the top layer with sunflower oil. For a golden finish, optionally brush the surface with beaten egg yolk.
07 - With a sharp knife, cut the assembled pie into squares or diamond shapes to ease serving after baking.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp.
09 - Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between shatteringly crisp phyllo and the creamy, tangy cheese filling is pure magic on your plate.
  • It's forgiving enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough to serve guests without any fuss.
02 -
  • Phyllo tears constantly, but it doesn't matter—overlapping broken sheets still crisp up beautifully and you'll never taste the difference once it's baked.
  • The sparkling water isn't a gimmick; it genuinely makes the filling lighter and less dense, which changes everything about how the dish feels on your plate.
03 -
  • Work with phyllo quickly but gently—it dries out fast but tears easily, so cover unused sheets with a barely damp towel while you layer.
  • Taste the filling before baking and adjust seasoning boldly; the flavors mellow slightly as it cooks, so it should taste almost overseasoned going in.
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