Sunday, January 23, 2011

Savory Sunday- No-Nonsense Spinach Casserole

Week two of Savory Sunday brings us a wonderful new side dish which was found in the Crazy for Casseroles cookbook found at my local library.  This was something which was planned for Christmas dinner but was cut after it was realized my menu had too much listed. 
Crazy for Casseroles: 275 All-American Hot-Dish Classics
This cookbook is pretty decent.  All the recipes are pretty easy.  In the margin of each recipe there are helpful tips and trick to help with preparation. 
This recipe is very good and tasty.  Adults and children alike will enjoy it immensely.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

No-Nonsense Spinach Casserole
The secret to this simple casserole is the seasoning, so be sure to taste the stirred mixture before baking, perhaps adjusting the cheese, garlic and nutmeg.  The casserole also makes an ideal buffet dish for a crowd, in which case the recipe should be doubled and a larger casserole dish used.
Two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1.  Place the spinach in a large pot, add enough water to just cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to moderate, cover, cook till the spinach is tender, about 8 minutes, and drain in a colander, pressing down with the back of a spoon to get out as much water as possible.
2.  Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole and set aside.
3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained spinach, sour cream, cheese, garlic and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, and stir till well blended.
4.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared casserole, sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top, dot the bread crumbs with the butter, and bake till bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Serve piping hot.
Makes 4 to 6 servings

The one big con for me for this cookbook was the lack of nutrition information. 
After tasting the mixture before cooking, some additional parmesan cheese was added to the mixture.  Cheesy is always better for my taste.  Make sure you adjust the recipe to your satisfaction!

Bon Appetit!

2 comments:

  1. sounds great. I might have to try this one!

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  2. I haven't had a casserole in years and that recipe would be perfect to get me started.... I love spinach.

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