Boureki is a savory pie from Chania, Crete, made with layers of thinly sliced zucchini and potatoes, soft myzithra cheese, fresh spearmint, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil, all wrapped in thick country-style phyllo. It’s at its best in summer, when zucchini is everywhere, but it bakes up beautifully any time of year.
I spent my childhood summers in Kalamaki, just outside Chania, at my uncle’s house by the beach, on the edge of fields of olive trees. This is that corner of the island on a plate: Chaniotiko boureki, humble vegetables turned into something special with good cheese, good oil, and a handful of mint.
I make the phyllo the way my 90-year-old aunt Lena does, rolled by hand. A box of store-bought country phyllo works beautifully too, and so does a crustless version (both are below).
If you’re a fan of our delicious Boureki, you’re in for a treat with our Spanakopita, Cheese Pie Tiropita, and Kasseri Cheese Pie!
What is boureki?
Boureki (μπουρέκι) is a layered vegetable pie from the Chania region of western Crete, which is why you’ll also see it called Chaniotiko or Haniotiko boureki. The name shares its roots with the börek pastries of the eastern Mediterranean. The heart of it is always the same: zucchini, potatoes, a soft fresh cheese like myzithra, and mint. Every family makes it a little differently. Some wrap it in phyllo top and bottom, some use only a top crust, and many bake it crustless, more like a gratin.
Why you will love boureki
Here is what you need
- If you want to make your own country-style phyllo: all you need is all-purpose flour, olive oil, lemon, and water. See the note on homemade phyllo below.
- If you want faster results use Country-style thick phyllo sheets. They are ideal for this recipe. Usually, they have triple or quadruple thickness compared to the well-known Greek phyllo sheet used for syrupy desserts and other delicious savory Greek pies. They are available at Mediterranean and Greek grocers as well as online.
- Zucchini. Large green zucchini is best.
- Potatoes. In the US, my preferred potatoes are Yukon Gold. In Greece, I use potatoes grown on the island of Naxos. I never peel them; the skin is thin and edible.
- Mizithra. Traditional boureki is made with soft, sour Cretan mizithra (sometimes labeled myzithra) or anthotiro, which you can find at Greek grocers in the US. If you can’t find it, a mix of ricotta, feta, and a little cream cheese comes very close (exact amounts in the recipe notes).
- Fresh spearmint. Its scent always reminds me of summer. Spearmint suits the zucchini potato bake perfectly. You can substitute with mint, basil, or even cilantro.
- Extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Sesame seeds. As a topping before baking.
How to make Cretan boureki
If you choose to make country phyllo sheets from scratch
- Go to our Cretan Kalitsounia recipe and follow Aunt Lena’s technique for making and rolling each phyllo sheet.
- When it is time to roll out the sheets and assemble the pie, cut the dough into two pieces, one about one-third bigger. The larger one will be for the bottom sheet. Roll it out large enough to cover the pan sides and bottom, and hang over the pan.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Wash the zucchini and potatoes thoroughly and cut them into thin slices, about ⅛ inch (3 mm). A mandoline makes this quick. If your zucchini are very large or watery, salt the slices and let them drain in a colander for 20–30 minutes, then pat dry.
Step 2. Mix the cheese with fresh spearmint leaves—there is no need to chop the leaves. Add 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Mix again well.
Step 3. Grease the pan with olive oil. Lay one thick phyllo sheet carefully on the bottom of the pan and cover the sides. Let the excess phyllo hang over the sides.
Step 4. Add a layer of the cheese mixture.
Step 5. Add a layer of zucchini. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a layer of potato slices and follow with a layer of cheese.
Step 6. Repeat the zucchini, potato, and cheese layers three more times, gently pressing down as you go. Finish with a layer of cheese.
Step 7. Fold the hanging phyllo over the layers.
Step 8. Place the second phyllo sheet on top. Cut out the extra phyllo, leaving about an inch of a border. Fold and roll it gently inwards to create a border. Brush it with olive oil.
Step 9. Very gently score the pie. Don’t insert the knife deep into the pie; just drag it lightly across the top. No need to cut all the way, a light scoring is enough.
Step 10. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and bake for at least 1 hour and 30 min.
Important note
Depending on your oven, it can take up to 2 hours. The pie is done when a knife slides easily through the potatoes in the center. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
Let it cool completely before serving. Boureki is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature.
Tips and tricks
- You can use the ready-made pie crust you find in the supermarket. It will add a nice biscuit texture to your boureki. Cover with aluminum foil as soon as you see the top browning and uncover for ten to fifteen minutes before taking the pie out of the oven.
- Use thin phyllo sheets like the ones from The Fillo Factory.
- Divide the sheets in half.
- Sprinkle olive oil between each phyllo sheet and add half of the sheets to the bottom of your pan.
- Layer potato-zucchini-cheese as directed and cover with the rest of the sheets. The same rule applies; sprinkle olive oil between each phyllo sheet before adding it to the pan.
- Important: Keep the phyllo you’re not using covered with a kitchen towel so it stays moist and doesn’t crack.
Make a crustless boureki
- Alternate layers of potatoes, zucchini, and cheese, finishing with a layer of potatoes.
- Sprinkle some grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese on top, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for an hour.
- Uncover, sprinkle some more grated cheese, and bake for another half hour. Check that a knife slides easily through the potatoes. The result is a delicious potato zucchini gratin. You can also try this super easy, no-crust zucchini pie – kolokithopita.
What to eat with boureki
- Serve it as a main dish with a large salad like our horiatiki salad.
- Cut the boureki into small pieces and serve as an appetizer with tiny Greek meatballs, phyllo cup appetizers, stuffed grape leaves-dolmadakia, or add a few to our amazing Greek grazing board.
FAQs about pork pot roast
Storage and freezer instructions
Boureki will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to three months.
Cooked it? Rate it!
If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.
Boureki – Potato & Zucchini Pie
Equipment
- A 12" x 10.5" baking pan.
Ingredients
Phyllo sheets
- 1 packet thick country phyllo sheets
or
- 2 homemade phyllo sheets , from our kalitsounia recipe
Veggies
- 2-3 large zucchini , cut in thin slices or coins
- 4-5 yukon gold potatoes , cut in thin slices
Cheese
- 2.2 lb mizithra cheese, (1 kg) see notes for a ricotta-feta substitute
Herbs & Seasonigs
- 1 bunch spearmint, Only the leaves. You can also use mint.
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, total
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 350 F.
- Wash the zucchini and potatoes thoroughly and cut them into thin slices.
- In a bowl, mix all cheese and fresh mint leaves. Add 2-3 tbs olive oil. Season with a generous amount of fresh ground pepper. Mix well.
- Grease the pan with olive oil. Carefully lay one thick phyllo sheet on the bottom of the pan and cover the sides. Let the excess sheet hang around the pan. Brush all phyllo with olive oil.
- Add a layer of the cheese mixture.
- Add a layer of zucchini, season with freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste, add a layer of potato slices, season again, and top with a layer of cheese.
- Repeat the zucchini, potato, and cheese layers three more times, seasoning each vegetable layer and gently pressing down as you go. Finish with a layer of cheese.
- Fold the hanging phyllo over the layers.
- Place the second phyllo sheet on top. Cut out the extra phyllo, leaving about an inch of a border. Fold and roll it gently inwards to create a border. Brush it with olive oil.
- Very gently score the pie. Don't insert the knife deep into the pie; drag it very lightly on top of the phyllo. There is no need to cut all the way; light scoring is enough. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
- Bake for at least 1 hour and 30 min. Depending on your oven, it might take up to 2 hours. You want the potatoes and zucchini cooked thoroughly. To avoid browning too much, cover the pie with aluminum foil halfway.
- Let it cool completely before serving. Boureki is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature.
Notes
If you are using homemade phyllo:
- Divide the dough into two pieces, one a little bigger than the other. Wrap the smaller piece in the towel and put it aside.
- Starting with the bigger piece, lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Working quickly, gently begin to roll the dough from the center outward. Apply even pressure and rotate the dough after every few passes, flipping the dough over occasionally and adding more flour as necessary.
- Check if the dough is the correct size for your pan. It should be large enough to cover the sides of your pan—oil all sides of the pan with a bit of olive oil
- Gently press the dough into the pan. If any tears or holes form, patch them with extra dough scraps. Make sure all sides of the pan are covered. Trim any excess dough.
Myzithra cheese substitution
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 7 oz feta cheese crumbled. Try I like Dodoni feta cheese.
- 4 oz cream cheese
Additional substitutions
- Use ready-made thicker phyllo like The Fillo Factory # 10 fillo dough | horiatiko | 14×18″ sheets.
- This recipe makes 18 small pieces in a baking pan 12″ x 10.5″. Served the smaller pieces as an appetizer. It makes nine more significant pieces to be served as a main meal with a leafy salad.
- 32 oz (900 g) full-fat ricotta
- 7 oz (200 g) feta, crumbled (I like Dodoni)
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
Nutrition
olive oil guide
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This is so delicious! I couldn’t find mizithra so I used a ricotta/feta mix and it worked great.
Thank you so much Marian, so happy you liked it!
Thanks for providing alternative cheeses for the Greek cheese. I can definitely find those items where I shop. This looks like a terrific meal with all the combinations of flavors and textures. Iโm with you on the poppy seeds โ they look great on top of that crust!
I love baked casseroles that incorporate cheese and veggies as they make the perfect lunch boxes! This is definitely going on my list of recipes to try, it will be perfect in the winter! (I can get squash in the winter where I live, they’re imported year round!)
I’ve never baked a casserole before, but this looks amazing and perfect for a winter day. I would love to try this since the combination of all the veggies looks and sounds amazing! I saved this recipe and I will definitely try this out during the week. I’m sure it will be delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
My zucchini plants are going wild with so many veggies! I can’t wait to put them to good use with this recipe. It looks delicious!
Such an eye stopper for those you haven’t tasted boureki before and for those who know Greek pies, we are just drooling over our devices right now. Excellent! Well done.
Oh, I love this recipe, it’s looks delicious and healthy aside from that it look so easy to prepare. I am sure my family will love this, YUM!
This Boureki Pie looks Incredibly delicious. I have to make this soon for my family!
I love finding new recipes that use zucchini! This sounds like an incredible vegetarian dish that we all would love in my house. What a unique dish to try for us! And anything with ricotta and feta is a keeper for me!
I have never heard of Boureki but it sounds fabulous! All those layers of goodness and a fantastic way to use all those zucchini from my garden.
I’m always looking for new recipes and this boureki is new and absolutely delicious. It is creamy and so good. I love the addition of the zucchini too.
YUM I love a good savoury pie. This one sounds so summery and delicious and a great way to use up that zucchini that I have.
Great recipe! Wanted to try preparing Boureki ever since we had it in Chania Crete last year.
That’s so good to hear! Very happy you liked it. x Jenny
Tried it last night. Nostimo!
Thank you darling! x