Three Cheese and Spinach Phyllo Rolls

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I get intense cravings for something crunchy AND buttery! And in those desperate, dark hours...I turn to phyllo dough! So simple and so easy...all you have to do is thaw it out overnight, and voila'! It's ready to be used! I'm pretty sure it's foolproof too, because I've used almost EVERYTHING as a filling, and it always comes out delicious!

In my phyllo rolls, I like to add a touch of saltiness by using thin slices of prosciutto. You can add regular ham, turkey, or even omit the meat in it, altogether!

Ingredients:

Half of a small shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of chopped garlic
8 ounces of baby spinach
1 1/2 cups of chopped mushrooms
3 Tbsp of cream cheese
3 Tbsp of Japanese style Panko bread crumbs
1 cup of freshly grated sharp cheddar
1 cup of freshly grated mozzarella
some chopped chives or green onion
1 and a half slices of prosciutto
olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
10 sheets of phyllo dough(thaw them overnight in the fridge)
some melted butter
Butter flavored baking spray

Start off by adding in some olive oil into a hot skillet. Add in your chopped shallots, along with a small pinch of salt. Cook until soft and tender. Add in your spinach, chopped mushrooms, and your cream cheese. Cover and allow to cook until wilted. Remove lid, stir, and then remove from heat.

Place your spinach mixture into a colander to drain any excess liquid. Then, add in your bread crumbs and mix well. Next, add in your cheeses along with chopped chives, and mix well, again. Set this aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Take one sheet of phyllo dough(with the long side facing you), and place it on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, spread a generous layer of melted butter, right on top. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets 9 MORE TIMES, but instead, use some BUTTER FLAVORED COOKING SPRAY, to cut back on some calories.

Next, take your prosciutto and place them horizontally, at the long end, closest to you. Place your spinach mixture, right on top of the prosciutto. Make sure to leave at least a half inch border on the short sides of the phyllo. This will keep most of your filling from oozing out, while baking. Begin to roll it up(jelly roll style), until nice and tight. Don't forget to brush on some melted butter to the outsides, as you are rolling up. Make sure you end with with the roll, SEAM SIDE DOWN.

Using a sharp and serrated knife, begin to make 1 inch slashes across the dough. Try not to cut all the way through...you don't want too much cheese to ooze out during baking.

Place into oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet, place it on cooling rack, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it. Slice, and serve immediately!

Watch my video here to see just how easy it is to make!