Greek Spinach Bake
Spanakopita is the Greek name for this traditional dish featuring spinach and feta cheese. You can serve it as a side dish or meatless main dish. My dad and I used to fight over the last piece.
Spanakopita is the Greek name for this traditional dish featuring spinach and feta cheese. You can serve it as a side dish or meatless main dish. My dad and I used to fight over the last piece.
- Carbohydrate 7.91409275088182 g
- Cholesterol 315.641434078667 mg
- Fat 14.7489859482896 g
- Fiber 0.233969288003783 g
- Protein 14.540129467396 g
- Saturated Fat 7.72837595482615 g
- Serving Size 1 1 servings. (112g)
- Sodium 614.431228556874 mg
- Sugar 7.68012346287804 g
- Trans Fat 1.55980788898781 g
- Calories 223 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, spinach and feta cheese. Stir in the flour, pepper and salt. Add eggs and mix well.
- Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350degrees until a thermometer reads 160degrees, about 1 hour.
Frozen spinach contains an immense amount of trapped water that will ruin this casserole if it is not removed completely. Too much moisture prevents the eggs from setting into a firm structure, leaving a watery mess instead of a sliceable bake. Success relies entirely on physical extraction before mixing.
- Thaw the ten-ounce package of spinach completely in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the sealed package in cold water to speed the process.
- Transfer the thawed spinach to a clean cotton kitchen towel or several layers of heavy-duty cheesecloth.
- Twist the cloth tightly around the greens and wring them over the sink until no more liquid drips out; weighing the squeezed spinach yields approximately six ounces of dry mass.
- Whisk the four large eggs thoroughly before adding them to the cheese and spinach mixture to ensure even distribution of proteins that bind the casserole.
- Bake the mixture uncovered in a greased nine-inch square baking dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring roughly 60 minutes.
- Substitute a glass or ceramic nine-inch baking dish if metal pans are unavailable, noting that glass retains heat longer and may require checking the internal temperature five minutes early.
Properly dried spinach yields a dense, sliceable texture rather than a soupy separation of dairy and water. Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
