Mediterranean Pizza Meat Pies – Sfeeha

Mediterranean Pizza Meat Pies, referred to as Sfeeha, consist of a swiftly rising flatbread crust filled with sautéed meat, vegetables, and adorned with feta cheese.

Food Network and Valerie Bertinelli

A successful variation on this classic dish was presented on Food Network by me and two of my children.

Valerie Bertinelli, Antonia Lofaso, Tori Spelling, and Michael Voltaggio were impressed by my son Tomio Daumit alongside his sister Leah Van Buren. 

Sfeeha

Prepared using a flatbread base, either wheat or spelt, baked open and filled with minced meat, herbs, spinach, and cheese. 

Sfeeha, also sometimes called Fatayer, were a staple at almost every gathering during my childhood.

My Syrian mother had numerous friends from various Mediterranean nations. 

Cooking together was a regular activity for them.

These meat pies would have been a recipe they prepared collectively, making plenty to freeze for unanticipated guests, which occurred frequently. 

Traditional Mediterranean Meat Pies

These classic meat pies would typically be crafted with minced lamb or goat meat, both meats are ideal for sfeehas.

They were frequently shaped with crimped edges, and left open; although some home chefs would fold the dough entirely over and bake them closed. 

Here in America, lamb is not favored by all, hence a replacement with beef, pork, or even ground turkey would result in a delightful Sfeeha. 

Sfeeha Meat Pies Are The Ideal Size Pizza For Kids

Envision the acclaim your children would achieve if they brought these nutritious, savory meat pies to school!

Fresh from the oven, they can be swiftly folded and presented like a calzone.

At the very least, the teacher would be keeping an eye on the delicious lunch your child takes to school. 

I can hardly think of a more suitable dish to prepare ahead for football weekend festivities! Bake them in the oven and serve hot, though they remain almost as delightful sitting out for hours. 

Meat Pizza Pie Dough

Not everyone finds working with bread dough easy, despite my dough recipes being straightforward.

I say go ahead and take a shortcut, rather than go without!

Numerous stores now offer pizza/bread dough in their refrigerated section, requiring only a second rise before baking. 

Homemade Pizza Dough vs Store Bought

While I prefer homemade pizza dough, many commercially produced dough can work quite well.

I know this because I’ve also resorted to them when in a rush.

Although I am not associated with Trader Joe’s, I have always enjoyed their whole wheat and white dough, formed in a small ball and frequently located in the area where cheeses and cold cuts are offered.

If you’re truly pressed for time, you might opt for pita bread, a decent quality pita bread.

Just layer the filling on top, crumble some high-quality feta, and warm it just long enough to heat the filling, since everything is already prepared.

Meat Pie Pans

There are various pans that can be utilized to shape these pies, although a free-form pie is also an option. I have utilized mini pizza pans, tart pans, and even the wide-mouth lids (turned upside down) from Mason jars which are ideal for small (3-bite) pies.

Sfeeha For Television

Oh, do I have a tale for YOU!

The Television Show You Will Never Witness but the scoop is here!

Many of you are aware that I have appeared on numerous Food Network cooking shows. Well, on this occasion, they requested two of my family members to cook alongside me.

Family Food Showdown, hosted by Valerie Bertinelli. Our family, The Daumit Family, competed against the Pineda Family. The complete story can be found in the link.

The Thrill Of Cooking For TV

To make a long story short, in every round, a family member was eliminated.

In the first round, we had to decide who would depart from our kitchen, in the second round the opposing team picked who would exit our kitchen, and the third round involved bringing one family member over the finish line, one on one.

My son Tomio remained in our kitchen to face off alone against the restaurant owner’s wife from the Pineda family.

The challenge was to merge pork and apples into a dish.

Since the production of this show, I have been fortunate to partake in several others (actually, I just enjoy myself) on.

Recently, my initial series was The Great American Recipe on PBS, but there have been others, all a delight to be part of!

Pizza Dough Sfeehas

Tomio, a culinary enthusiast like the rest of our family, quickly retrieved the pizza dough from the refrigerator and crafted individual Sfeehas for each of the judges and for Valerie.

He sautéed the pork with spices and finely diced apples, added a hint of heat, and spread the filling over the dough, garnished with feta cheese, and they went directly into the oven.

Crazy Tomio decided to whip up a second dish to accompany the Sfeeha!

He quickly sautéed bacon to scatter over an arugula and apple salad, drizzled with a homemade honey, lemon, mustard, and olive oil dressing.

Meat pies emerged from the oven. Honey was drizzled over the meat pies to balance their spicy heat.

Plated exquisitely, while his sister and I were shouting and cheering from the side. The dishes were presented to Michael Voltaggio, Antonia Lofaso, and Tori Spelling.

Sfeeha – The Victorious Dish!

YES! Tomio led his family across the finish line while Mama (me) burst into tears. Indeed, we are an eccentric, foodie family.

Yes, pork makes for a wonderful Sfeeha, perhaps not Mediterranean.

Nevertheless, the concept was introduced to my children when they were young, just as it was for me during my childhood.

Traditional

Foods… are like that!

Essential Components

• Pastry
• Minced lamb
• Tubers
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Allium
• Citrus extract
• Tomato puree
• Courgette
• Feta cheese
• Seasoning
• Aleppo chili
• Fresh oregano

Required Tools

• Frying pan
• Chopping board
• Chef’s knife
• Mini tart pans – my preferred pans are the selection below, which I utilize for various dishes.
• Cooking utensil
• Pastry roller
• Cooktop or stove
• Oven