The Best Greek Zucchinis & Potatoes Casserole Recipe – Boureki
Delicious classic Greek zucchini casserole. bursting with flavors from the cheese and vegetables. All the ingredients may be ready in just 15 minutes, after which you can sit back and let the oven do the work. You can’t go wrong with a classic Greek recipe! This is a great one.
What is Boureki
Boureki is a Greek dish that consists of a baked pastry filled with a variety of ingredients. It is popular in Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon. The name boureki comes from the Turkish word börek meaning “pie” or “pies” and refers to the fact that this dish was originally made with meat pie fillings (meatballs).
Ingredients
- Greek Zucchinis
- Potatoes
- Feta cheese, crumbled (or feta)
- Olive oil, for greasing the baking dish and to drizzle over the top once baked. You can use any kind of oil you prefer—olive or walnut would both work well! I recommend using a neutral tasting oil so that it doesn’t overpower the flavor of your other ingredients. We used extra virgin olive oil in our recipe because it’s mild enough to taste good with everything else going on here but not so strong as to be overpowering either way. If you want something stronger tasting though, feel free use an other type of vegetable oil such as sunflower seed or macadamia nut!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
Place the potatoes and zucchinis in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain well before using as directed below in preparation for baking.
Pro Tip
If you’re not a fan of zucchini, or don’t have any on hand, feel free to substitute with eggplants or even potatoes! Just make sure that your potatoes are small enough so they cook through without getting too soft. You can also add chopped parsley or dill for an extra kick (and some color), but I think this recipe is pretty delicious as-is so I’m not going to suggest anything else. If you’d like a bit more flavor in your boureki, try adding feta cheese after baking!
Cooking Notes
- Cooking time: 20 minutes to 1 hour.
- Ingredients: 6 zucchinis (about 2 pounds), 4 potatoes (about 1 pound) and a pinch of salt.
- Cooking temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cooking utensils: A sharp knife, nonstick pan and slotted spoon are all you need to prepare this dish.
- Set the oven rack in the middle position and heat it up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with a baking sheet inside—do not turn it on yet! Chop off three large chunks from each end of each zucchini so that you have about 2 pieces per vegetable when cut into quarters lengthwise; reserve these “handles.”
- Peel or cut away any green skin from both ends until they’re smooth—they should look like little wheels with lots of holes in them!
- Slice each potato into rounds about 1/4 inch thick; set aside for later use.
- Cut off any loose outer leaves from each potato mangetout until cleanly separated from stalk; slice off top two thirds exposing just enough flesh as needed for this recipe but less than half way down lengthwise if using whole ones instead since they will be cooked separately later on when making boureki dough following step number five above.
Enjoy this delicious Greek recipe
You are going to love this Greek Zucchini & Potatoes Casserole. This dish is great for a family dinner or potluck, or even as an appetizer at your next party! This recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes and it’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have time to go out and buy something new from the grocery store.
The classic Greek dish known as “Boureki,” which is essentially baked potatoes with zucchini, is from the island of Crete. Some families add a short crust pastry ring around the filling, but I’m presenting the recipe as my mother used to make it when we were kids.
There isn’t much preparation required for this Greek zucchini casserole. You can make all of the components in only ten to fifteen minutes. Then, all you have to do is combine everything thoroughly in a tray and leave the oven to handle the rest. The dish may feed a large family, or if you have a small family, it will be plenty to make your lunch for the following day. Yey!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this recipe for Greek Zucchinis & Potatoes Casserole! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.