Two months ago I was asked to cook a Greek dish on a local TV station, KUTV 2, to promote the Salt Lake Greek Festival. I cooked one of my favorite dishes, Bouyiourdi (spicy baked feta) while chatting with Chef Bryan Woolley (cookingwithchefbryan.com). Much to my surprise, Chef Bryan asked to come back on the show again, this time featuring a pumpkin pie recipe just in time for holidays. Truth be told, I don’t love sweet pies, I’m more of a savory girl myself. But, there is just one pumpkin pie recipe that I will devour self handedly, the one my mom makes. She uses a filling inspired by Paula Deen, and uses a pre made graham cracker crust that goes perfectly well with the spices from the filling.

For the show, I decided to use a phyllo dough crust instead, to make more of a “Greeky” twist on this classic dish. The results were wonderful, and resulted in a light and sweet pumpkin pie.

Watch the featured TV segment here:
https://kutv.com/features/food/recipes/cooking-with-chef-bryan-greek-pumpkin-pie

Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Whipped cream, for topping

For the crust:
2/3 cup melted butter, for brushing
10 sheets of phyllo dough

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until well combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until well combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon and beat until incorporated.
3. Butter a 9.5 inch pie pan. Add one sheet of phyllo dough and drizzle with melted butter. The edges of the phyllo should hang around the edges of the pan. Be sure to lightly butter even the parts of the phyllo that hangs off the pan so it doesn’t dry out. Repeat the process until all the phyllo sheets have been used.
4. Pour the filling into the pie. Grab part of the overhanging phyllo and gently roll up the pan to meet the filling. As you roll, continue to grab parts of the phyllo until all phyllo meets the filling to form a crust.
5. Bake for 80 minutes, or until the center is set. Once ready, turn off the oven and allow the pie to set for an additional 30 minutes, this ensures the filling doesn’t sink in. Then place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
6. Cut into slices and top each piece with whipped cream.