Spinach Continental

Friends,

Need a way to get picky eaters to eat spinach? If you’ve ever wondered what in the heck could be done with spinach that would make it yummm. Here is it!

It’s a side dish that will be requested over and over.

The creamy milk, butter, and cheese mixture is a hit and makes the spinach a bystander. Suddenly, there are these sweet picky eaters are eating the stuff they don’t like.

Let’s talk about the details

First things first! Take that spinach out of the freezer and set it to thaw. I often start this night before. I let it drain overnight before the next step.

The hardest part

One of the key things to this recipe is getting as much water as possible out of the spinach. I used to do this by putting a batch in my hand and squeezing, rotating, and squeezing some more until there wasn’t any more water dripping.

Call me lazy, call me old, call it arthritis. I call it easier.

I now use a garlic press to squeeze the water out of my spinach.

More often than not, I quadruple this recipe and place it into a 9x13 pan. This, of course, requires 4 10oz packages of spinach.

That can be a lot of spinach to squeeze. So making it easier is better.

Place your squeezed spinach to the side. You’ll use it in a bit.

The Yummy Cheesy Mixture

Some might think this is the hard part, but it’s not! Just keep an eye on it and keep the temperature low to medium-low.

Place the milk, butter, and cheese into the saucepan and stir. Heat it enough to melt the cheese and butter. Stir on occasion.

While the butter and cheese are melting, pop the bread in the toaster and melt the remaining butter in a skillet.

The milk, butter, and cheese mixture are likely melted now. Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the mixture to keep it from creating a skim on top.

Now let it cool.

While the mixture cools, cut the crust off of the toast and cut the bread into 1/2” cubes. Put the cubes in the melted butter and stir so the bread absorbs all the butter.

It’s possible the milk mixture isn’t cool yet, so set the temperature in the oven to 350 and butter the baking dish.

Why cool the milk mixture? Easy! You don’t want to cook the egg!

Down to the nitty gritty

Now that the mixture has cooled, stir in the beaten egg.

I like this last part. I get to get my hands into the mix. It’s almost like kneading bread. Soothing!

Drop the spinach into the mixture. They are dry clumps so they will need to be broken up. I like to get my hands in there and make sure there aren’t any clumps at all and the spinach is spread evenly through the mixture.

The home stretch

Pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish and sprinkle the buttered bread cubes on top.

Lastly, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of it all!

Now bake the baby and enjoy!

Spinach side dish, Spinach Continental

Side dish

Yield: 4

Author: Carolyn Albright

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Spinach Continental

Great side dish! And a nice easy way to get those picky eaters to eat spinach.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 50 M

Ingredients

• 1-10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach
• 3/4 cup milk
• 8 Tbsp butter
• 4 slices American cheese
• 2 slices of bread
• 1 large egg
• 4 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Butter 8" baking dish

The spinach

1. Thaw and drain spinach. Squeeze all water out of the spinach.

Butter, Milk and Cheese Mixture

1. Place milk, 2 Tbsp of butter, and cheese in a saucepan.
2. Heat on low until butter and cheese melt.
3. Place plastic wrap on top of the mixture to keep a skim from forming on top.
4. Cool until warm.

The Bread and Butter

1. Toast 2 slices of bread.
2. Trim the crust and cut the bread into 1/2" cubes.
3. In a skillet, melt 4 Tbsp of butter.
4. Add bread cubes to melted butter and stir until butter is absorbed.

The Egg

1. Beat egg well.

The Finale

1. After the milk, butter, and cheese mixture has cooled, add the beaten egg.
2. Add spinach and mix well.
3. Pour into a buttered baking dish
4. Sprinkle bread cubes on top
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese
6. Bake for 30 minutes

Notes

Serve hot! Refrigerate leftovers.

This dish also works well for making over time. Make the mixture in one day and refrigerate. Toast the bread and soak them in the butter the next day. Sprinkle bread cubes on the mixture and the parmesan, then bake.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

405.37

Fat

34.71

Sat. Fat

20.58

Carbs

12.82

Fiber

2.62

Net carbs

10.21

Sugar

4.05

Protein

12.98

Sodium

767.43

Cholesterol

137.45

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