Grab a Package of Frozen Phyllo Dough for These Easy Snacks, Dinners, and Desserts

a borek cut in half to show the spinach and cheese filling — Andrew Janjigian

When I was growing up, there was always a box of store-bought phyllo dough sitting in my family’s freezer. My mom kept it there for whenever the mood would strike her to make flaky, crispy, simple syrup–soaked homemade baklava fragrant with rose water and studded with pistachios—a rare treat! I would sit in the kitchen, watching her carefully unravel layer after layer of phyllo dough, placing each in a sheet pan and brushing it with butter before adding another sheet. It was a meticulous process but the satisfying crunch of biting into a square of her baklava made it seem well worth the effort.

Though my mom mainly used phyllo dough for baklava, the pastry has many excellent applications, both sweet and savory, so it’s well worth keeping in your freezer, too. The ingredient is a staple of Greek cuisine and many Middle Eastern cuisines, and it’s easy to find in the freezer section of just about any US grocery store, as well as in specialty stores. Here, we’ve gathered a list of six phyllo dough recipes, including Greek spanakopita, Armenian spinach and cheese turnovers, a spin on the Internet-darling crinkle pie, and, yes, baklava. So, grab a box or two of phyllo on your next trip to the supermarket (or pull one out of your freezer).

Bastila (Moroccan Chicken Pie)

Overhead view of one pan chicken Bastilla — Serious Eats / Qi Ai

This simplified skillet bastila features a savory stewed chicken filling with eggs and crunchy almonds, all topped with a crisp pastry dough.

Savory Vegetarian Crinkle Pie

slice of savory crinkle pie on a plate with green textiles, a sparkling water, and a small bowl of honey on the side — Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

This hearty vegetable phyllo pie is crunchy, creamy, and cheesy all in one bite. Best of all? It only takes 15 minutes to prep.

Borek (Armenian Spinach and Cheese Turnovers)

an overhead shot of boreks on a marble surface — Andrew Janjigian

These crispy, cheesy hand pies that are a must for any mezze spread, along with cured olives, string cheese, dried apricots, walnut halves, and cured meats like basturma (the Armenian equivalent of bresaola) and sujuk (spiced Armenian sausage).

Spanakopita (Greek Savory Greens Pie)

20180615-spanikopita-vicky-wasik-26 — Vicky Wasik

For a twist on the classic, this version of Greek spanakopita uses an assortment of greens and tender herbs in addition to spinach.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Spanakopita Skillet

This recipe combines the best of chicken pot pie and spanakopita in one skillet.

Pistachio Baklava

Stack of baklava — Serious Eats / Mai Kakish

With layers of buttery phyllo dough and nuts drenched in simple syrup or honey, homemade baklava—or bak-la-wa in Arabic—is the ultimate sweet treat.