Cheese Burek with Puff Pastry
Like a cheese-filled turnover, or spinach-free spanakopita, a cheese burek is a tasty dinner or snack and easy to make using frozen puff pastry.
It was a treat I remembered from my youth. Back in the cunchy granola 70s, celebrating everything ethnic was “in.” One of the highlights of the year was Milwaukee’s International Folk Fair, full of food, dance and culture–the largest event of its kind in the country.
The event still exists today, though a fraction of its former size. Many of the groups that used to participate have stopped or have a smaller presence. And one I miss the most is the Armenian food both.
Yum
Here (among many great treats), they served Cheese Bureks, which were like melted cheese-filled turnovers. They’d cook them up before your eyes, in an oil-filled electric frying pan. We’d always buy platefuls to share.
So, when my Sunday blogging group decided to do dairy for dinner recipes, I knew I needed to figure out how to make these. I used a combination of memory and some internet research to create my version of the Cheese Burek.
Roll out puff pastry to 12 x 12
Fill with cheese and chives, then brush the outside edge with water
Fold over and crimp closed with fork
The dish uses a combo of cheeses, provolone from my memories of a mild good melting cheese and feta from the internet recipes. Chopped chives add a subtle flavor boost (memory) and egg (internet) helps the filling hold together. Then they are baked, rather than fried like the originals (easier!).
Cheesy filling
In the end it was kind of like a spinach-free spanakopita. And even my picky daughter, who turns up here nose at half of what I make, ate two.
Then she asked me to make them for her birthday.
Now, that’s a recommendation!
Served
Cheese Burek with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 6 ounce 9 x 9 sheet puff pastry
- ¾ cup grated or crumbled feta
- ¾ cup grated provolone or other mild good melting cheese
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 egg divided
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Roll out a puff pastry sheet to a 12 x 12 square. Cut the square into four 6 x 6 squares (a pizza cutter works well).
- Crack egg, whisk until blended, and reserve 1 teaspoon. Combine remaining egg with the two cheeses and the chives.
- Top each of the puff pastry squares with ¼ of the filling. Brush the edges of the square, fold over and seal with a fork.
- Beat the reserved teaspoon of egg with 1 teaspoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush the tops of each burek with the egg wash, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until starting to turn golden.
Serve warm.
Nutrition
Dairy for Dinner
- Alcohol Free Cheese Fondue by That Recipe
- Cheese Burek by Art of Natural Living
- Chicken in Lemon Cream by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta by Making Miracles
- Loaded Beer Cheese Potato Soup by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Pea and Ricotta Carbonara by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Scalloped Potatoes by Palatable Pastime
- Southwest Corn and Potato Chowder by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
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Cheesy goodness and flaky crust…I’m in!! I’m loving the Provolone and feta combo!
I think I’ll be making this again over 4th of July!
These have my name written all over them! Puff pastry, cheese, yum!
puff pastry is magical and these look excellent! my mouth doesn’t often water for savory things, but this did the trick. 🙂
I love puff pastry too. And the commercial stuff makes so many things practical.
My mouth started watering just looking at your photos. The crust looks so flaky and the filling – YUM!
Someday (after watching too many Great British Baking Shows) I’m going to try my own puff pastry. But you really can’t beat the commercial for ease and it’s always beautifully flaky!
These sound just LOVELY!! What beautiful, cheesy treats!!
Cheesy says it all!
Ohhh I bet I would love this one, I remembered I made a Honey Ricotta Version of this and it was amazing, but for someone who is a savoury lover, this I think would be much fit for me.
Oooo, honey ricotta sounds pretty good too!
These look so easy and good! No wonder your daughter requested them for her birthday. I just used my last piece of puff pastry for an upcoming seafood pie blog post (had to reshoot the photos) so I will look for more when I hit Whole Foods in 2 weeks!
I finally found the Dufour puff pastry that you like, though I still need to try it. Need to get past this round of keto first 🙁
I’ve never heard of this before but it sounds delicious! I love cheese anything!
THen you’d love these!
I love that these are baked and not fried!
Healthier and so, so much easier!
Dear Inger,
I’m going to make this. When I started reading and saw the oil filled fry pan, I thought no. But in reading you r actual recipe where is was baked.
It made me think of the empanadas we so enjoyed in Peru. I can’t find anyone in Milwaukee that will make just simple cheese ones so I hope this will be close. Thanks again,
Mary Jo
I did some later experimenting trying to get closer to the fried, drippy original. In the end we decided this recipe was actually superior.
Now I have to look up empanadas!
This sounds wonderful. I love spinach pie so it stands to reason I will love this as well.
Yes, Wendy, very likely you would enjoy this too.
Oh, this souns great
Thanks!