Happy New Year and welcome back to my blog. I look forward to another year of posting some excellent recipes for you to try. This spinach casserole is an excellent side dish to any entree, but is equally a great dish to serve for a brunch.
Ingredients:
2 10oz. packages frozen chopped spinach
2 c. small curd cottage cheese or 15 oz. container of whole milk ricotta
1 t. salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. freshly ground nutmeg
½ c. parmesan cheese
3 eggs
3/4 c. grated mozzarella cheese
2 T. butter
½ c. minced onion
In a large pot of water, add spinach and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Pour spinach into a colander and drain well. Allow to cool. Use a spoon and press to remove as much water as possible. You can also use your hand to press. The goal is to make the spinach as dry as possible.
In a small skillet, add butter and onion. Sauté until onion is transparent. Allow to cool slightly before adding to the spinach.
In a separate bowl, add ricotta (or cottage cheese - if you have a texture issue then you may want to substitute ricotta for a smoother consistency).
Add eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Mix thoroughly and add parmesan cheese.
In the same pot in which the spinach was cooked, add the spinach, onion and cheese mixture.
Combine until completely incorporated.
Place in a greased casserole dish. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 350º for 30-40 minutes. Make sure to coat the foil with non stick spray to keep it from sticking to the food.
