Gibanica

Gibanica (Cyrillic: гибаница), pron. gheebanitsa, is a Serbian pastry dish, usually made with white cheese.

Gibanica is a traditional dish in parts of Balkan region. Varieties and related dishes can also be found in Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria where it is usually called Banitsa (баница), as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Croatia. It is a popular dish in Syria and Lebanon as well and known as Shabiyat.

This is one of the most popular and recognizable pastry dishes in Balkans and it is made most often for festive occasions, or simply as a comforting family snack. Although gibanica is most commonly made with white cheese, other varieties are made with spinach, meat or potatoes and onions.
Gibanica Ingredients:

2 lb Cottage cheese, large curd
4 ea Egg, separated
1/2 ts Salt
1 x Cheese
10 tb Butter
1 lb Phyllo dough

Instructions:

Mix cheese with egg yolks and one stick of melted butter.
Add salt.
Beat egg whites until foamy and add to cheese mixture.
Grease 9 x 13 pan.
Place 3 phyllo sheets on bottom and sprinkle lightly with filling.
Alternate triple layers of dough with filling, ending with dough.
Melt remaining butter and sprinkle over top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Let cool slightly before cutting.
Can be reheated uncovered.