Nothing beats ease of one-skillet meal

Nothing beats a one-skillet meal for ease of preparation on special occasions.

This cheesy spinach pie can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature, and it’s also terrific on a buffet table right out of the oven.

Make sure the phyllo dough is properly thawed so it unrolls without tearing.

If little hands are helping to make this for Mother’s Day, they’ll get a kick out of squeezing the moisture out of the spinach.

For a complete meal, serve it with grilled or fried sausage links.

Skillet Spinach Pie

Serves 8. “Feeding a Family: A Real-Life Plan for Making Dinner Work” by Sarah Waldman (Roost Books, April 2017, $35)

30 ounces frozen spinach, thawed

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place spinach in the center of a clean kitchen towel, fold up edges and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. (A perfect job for kids!)

In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Transfer 2 tablespoons butter to a small bowl. Add minced onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool slightly, then stir in spinach, ricotta, eggs, feta, dill, lemon juice, salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Lay first sheet of phyllo dough over the spinach-ricotta mixture in the skillet and brush the top with some of the reserved melted butter. One at a time, layer remaining five sheets, brushing each one with butter. Rotate and scrunch each sheet slightly so edges are offset and the top is ruffled. Transfer pie to oven and bake until it’s golden brown and heated through, about 35 minutes.