Egyptian Meat Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 lb ground meat (may be all beef or a combination of beef and lamb)
1 large onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
garlic, minced (to taste, the more the better!)
2 tablespoons melted butter or 2 tablespoons oil
pepper or cumin

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a nonstick skillet, using a teaspoon of butter or oil, sweat the onions, pepper and garlic until soft.
Add the ground meat and cook until no longer pink, then add the spices and mix well. Remove from heat and drain off excess fat.
Prepare a rectangular baking dish (of a size similar to that of the phyllo sheets - I used 9\" x 13\") by lightly brushing the bottom and sides of the dish with the melted butter or oil.
Layer the phyllo dough in the pan, brushing each two or three sheets with melted butter or oil.
When 1/2 of the phyllo dough has been layered in the pan, spread the meat filling in and continue covering with the remaining phyllo dough, making sure to brush the last layer with a bit of extra butter or oil to ensure a nice golden color.
Before baking uncovered in the oven, cut through the \"pie\" with a sharp knife into squares or diamonds.
Bake until golden. May be eaten either hot or cold, with a large green salad.
This dish may be made vegetarian by substituting a spinach/feta cheese mixture for the meat filling according to the original recipe, but I've always used the meat. I've also added feta cheese in with the meat mixture, and it makes a nice addition.