Serbian Layered Cheese Pie (Printable)

Golden phyllo layers filled with cottage cheese, feta, and eggs create a crispy Balkan pastry.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cheese Filling

01 - 10.5 oz cottage cheese
02 - 7 oz crumbled feta cheese
03 - 4 large eggs
04 - 3.4 fl oz plain yogurt
05 - 1.7 fl oz sunflower oil
06 - 1.7 fl oz sparkling water
07 - 0.5 tsp salt, adjust to taste
08 - 0.25 tsp ground black pepper

→ Pastry

09 - 17.6 oz phyllo dough (approximately 12 sheets), thawed if frozen

→ Topping

10 - 2 tbsp sunflower oil, for brushing
11 - 1 egg yolk, optional for glazing

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with sunflower oil.
02 - In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, feta, eggs, yogurt, sunflower oil, sparkling water, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly until mixture is smooth.
03 - Place a sheet of phyllo dough in the baking dish and brush lightly with oil. Repeat for two more sheets, oiling each layer.
04 - Evenly spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cheese filling over the layered phyllo.
05 - Alternate layering 2 to 3 phyllo sheets at a time, brushing each with oil and spreading cheese filling between layers until all filling and phyllo are used, finishing with two sheets on top.
06 - Brush the top layer generously with oil. For a golden finish, optionally brush with beaten egg yolk.
07 - Using a sharp knife, cut the layered pie into desired squares or diamond shapes before baking.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp.
09 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-impressive but comes together faster than you'd expect, with mostly just layering and letting the oven do the work.
  • The phyllo gets shatteringly crisp while the cheese filling stays silky and never dries out, thanks to the yogurt and sparkling water trick.
  • Leftovers stay delicious cold or reheated, making it perfect for meal prep or unexpected guests.
02 -
  • Don't skip the sparkling water—I tried leaving it out once thinking it didn't matter, and the filling came out dense and heavy instead of light and tender.
  • Keep phyllo covered with a damp towel as you work; even a few minutes of air exposure will make it brittle and impossible to layer without tearing.
03 -
  • Oil your pastry brush generously and work quickly with phyllo—speed matters more than perfection, and thin, even coverage beats trying to get every corner perfect.
  • If the top starts browning too fast before the filling is set, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
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