Fresh Spinach Loaf with Cheese Sauce
This is a great veggie dish that even the avowed spinach haters in my family love. It's very pretty when prepared too. It graces our holiday table every year and I usually have to make two because it goes so fast!
This is a great veggie dish that even the avowed spinach haters in my family love. It's very pretty when prepared too. It graces our holiday table every year and I usually have to make two because it goes so fast!
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- dash pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 dash nutmeg
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 large carrots
- 2 package creamed spinach, frozen well-drained
- 1 cup swiss or gruyere cheese shredded or grated
- for the cheese sauce:
- 1 dash red pepper, ground
- 3 red bell pepper (for garnish) rings
- Carbohydrate 51.7688153097383 g
- Cholesterol 605.04484375 mg
- Fat 40.7505271874806 g
- Fiber 5.3013812287958 g
- Protein 34.5149998435453 g
- Saturated Fat 20.4561337499969 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (393g)
- Sodium 1344.78078124996 mg
- Sugar 46.4674340809425 g
- Trans Fat 4.06898453124357 g
- Calories 709 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease 8 1/2 -by 4 1/2-by 2 3/4-inch loaf pan; line with aluminum foil 16 inches long, 5 inches wide. Grease bottom and sides.
- Pare carrots, cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Cover with boiling water in small saucepan and cook, covered, 10 minutes. Drain well; set aside.
- Wash red pepper; cut in half; discard ribs and seeds; cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups); set aside.
- In hot butter in large saucepan, saute onion, stirring, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in spinach, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, the sugar, dash pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
- In large bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add bread crumbs and Swiss cheese; stir in spinach mixture, mixing well.
- Spread 1/3 spinach mixture in loaf pan. Layer with carrot. Layer with 1/3 spinach mixture. Layer with red pepper. Top with rest of spinach mixture.
- Place greased waxed paper over top of pan. Set pan in larger pan; pour 1 1/2 inches boiling water into larger pan.
- Bake 60 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean (the edges will just be beginning to brown.
- In small saucepan, slowly melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in flour, seasonings and milk until smooth. Bring to boiling, stirring, until thick. Reduce heat; add Cheddar; stir until smooth.
- Cool loaf 20 minutes. Loosen edge with spatula. Invert onto warm platter. Top with sauce. Garnish with the red-pepper rings.
How do you keep a vegetable loaf from turning watery when baked in a water bath? The answer lies in how moisture is managed across the components. Frozen spinach holds significantly more trapped cellular water than fresh leaves, requiring thorough pressing before it joins the egg and breadcrumb binder. Cubed carrots need a ten-minute boil to soften starches before assembly, ensuring they match the tender bite of the surrounding layers. Raw red bell peppers contribute crisp texture and natural sugars that concentrate as heat transfers through the loaf pan. Baking occurs inside a water bath at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which insulates the custard base and prevents the eggs from overcoagulating into a rubbery texture. Watch for the edges to begin browning, and test doneness by inserting a knife into the center; it must emerge clean without liquid residue. Allowing the baked loaf to rest for twenty minutes permits the internal proteins to contract and firm up, making inversion onto a platter possible without structural collapse. A quick roux thickened with milk and sharp cheddar provides an emulsion of dairy fats to coat each slice.
