Feteer Bel Asaag (Pastry With Ground Meat)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional) or chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2-1 cup butter (melted)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk (skim milk if you like)
• 1 package frozen phyllo pastry sheet (, thawed overnight)

Directions

1. 1

   Saute the onion in the oil until it changes color to dark yellow.

2. 2

   Add the meat and brown it then add the water, salt and pepper and let it cook until all the water has evaporated.

3. 3

   If you decide to use nuts add them at this time.

4. 4

   This is called a3sag and it is used in makaronah felforn bilbashamel (pasta casserole).

5. 5

   Open the Fillo dough package and divide the sheets in half (they are usually sheets of 10X20" rectangles) you want to end up with 2 stacks of 10X10 sheets.

6. 6

   In a greased 9x12x3" baking dish layer 2 to 3 sheets at a time and sprinkle them with a few drops of the melted butter, and so on until you finish the first half of the sheets.

7. 7

   Spread the meat and nut mixture on it and start doing the same thing with the other half of the sheets.

8. 8

   Don't worry about spreading the butter on the sheets.

9. 9

   When you finish with all the dough cut the feteer in 2X1" squares with a sharp knife.

10. 10

    Mix together the left-over melted butter, the egg and the milk and a pinch of salt (not much) beat it with fork.

11. 11

    At this point, if you want, you can wrap the dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate until 1/2 hr before it is time to eat.

12. 12

    Pour the egg mixture gently over the feteer and bake, uncovered, in a 375F oven for about 20 minutes or until the milk is absorbed and the feteer turns gold yellow.