from tasteatlas.com – Bourekas is a traditional Israeli of Sephardi Jewish origin. There are many versions of bourekas, made with bourekas dough, phyllo dough, , or pastry, filled with cheese ( or ), spinach, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, or filling.

Distinctive shapes are used to indicate different fillings – bourekas made with puff pastry and containing dairy products are always shaped into triangles, while those containing non-dairy products are shaped into squares or circles. Before they're baked, bourekas are sprinkled with poppy seeds, nigella seeds, black seeds, or za'atar. Basic Bourekas Recipe

Ingredients – will vary depending on filling and choice of dough. These are merely suggestions. Get creative and use what you have Dough - Puff Pastry – thawed and rolled out Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or similar Egg wash – (beaten egg with water)brush tops of dough before Fillings: Spinach and cheese Fresh spinach (10-12 oz) 1-2 TBS oil 1-2 cloves, chopped ¼ cup diced caramelized 4 oz Feta cheese 4 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese salt & pepper to taste Sauté spinach in and garlic. Add caramelized onion. Drain off any liquid and cool. Mix in cheeses, adding salt & pepper to taste. and onion potatoes, boiled or leftover mashed potatoes caramelized , diced salt and pepper to taste 1 egg yolk (optional) Make your favorite mashed potatoes (lumpy is best). Stir in caramelized onions, salt & pepper. Mix in egg yolk if using, which helps keep filling together when baking. Cheese Filling – sweet 8 oz brick , room temperature 6 oz farmer cheese 1 egg yolk 1/3 cup sugar ½ tsp 1 tsp vanilla Combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Refrigerate before using Directions: If using puff pastry, thaw dough before using. Roll out dough and cut each sheet into 9 or 12 squares (depending on sheet size). Fill each square with 1-2 TBS desired filling. Fold dough over to make a triangle. Seal edges (especially cheese filling). Top with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, seasoning, or cinnamon sugar (for sweet cheese filling) Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes If using crescent dough, there are two options. You can separate into designated (long) triangles. Top each triangle with 2-3 TBS filling. Top with another triangle and seal edges. Option #2 – Join 2 triangles to form a rectangle. Seal edges and cut in half to form 2 squares. Fill each square with 1-2 TBS filling and fold over to form a triangle. Seal edges. Egg wash and sprinkle desired topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Pizza Bourekas (spirals) your favorite red sauce shredded mozzarella cheese and / or other cheeses parmesan cheese Roll out dough to a rectangle. Spread on your sauce. Top with cheeses. Roll up topped dough jelly roll style. Slice into equal pieces. Place on parchment paper lined baking pan, cut side up. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown 15-20 minutes