I’ve spent the better part of the last 6 months trying to figure out how to turn the Greek spinach and feta pie, spanakopita, into a 5:30 Challenge recipe. From an ingredient perspective, it’s a perfect candidate, since it’s not much more than spinach, cheese, and phyllo pastry. But that pastry presents a big challenge. To prepare it properly, it needs careful layering with melted butter, a process that can eat up the better part of a 30-minute time limit.

Eventually, I decided that the best approach was to scrap the phyllo altogether. Instead, I opted to transform spanakopita into a dip, using pita crackers for the crunchy carbohydrate element. These can do triple-duty as a dip thickener, a crisp topping and a serving vessel. In addition, the crackers only need a quick crushing with a rolling pin to prepare for use.

Other shortcuts? I like to use frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh; it’ll thaw in a warm skillet in a few minutes, and then can drain while you saute sliced scallions. For the cheese, feta crumbles require no prep work, and will incorporate into the dip just fine.

The final dish is a distant cousin to traditional spanakopita, but its flavors and textures keep it in the family.

Spanakopita Dip

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Laurence Walker, a volunteer with the Cajun Navy Relief, left, takes two volunteers out on his boat on Lake Oconee to search for Gary Jones, Tuesday, February, 18, 2025, in Eatonton, Ga. The Putnam County sheriff is investigating and searching after Spelman College instructor Joycelyn Nicole Wilson and an Atlanta private school coach Gary Jones went missing on Lake Oconee over a week ago, Saturday Feb. 8th. The body of Wilson was found Sunday, Feb. 9th and Jones has not been found. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com