Baked Spinach with Cheese
Submitted by dollou
Fresh spinach sauteed in butter with onion and garlic, layered with nutty Emmentaler cheese and a dusting of paprika and nutmeg, then baked until bubbly and golden. Simple, rich, and deeply savory.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
20 minREADY
45 minFresh spinach and melted Swiss-style cheese is one of those combinations that just works every single time.
A pound of fresh spinach gets wilted in butter with diced onion and garlic, then layered into a casserole dish between two generous blankets of grated Emmentaler.
A whisper of nutmeg, a shake of paprika, and some black pepper are all the seasoning it needs before it heads into the oven until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown at the edges.
It’s elegant enough for a dinner party and simple enough for a Tuesday.
Kitchen Tips
- Wash the spinach thoroughly to remove every grain of sand. Nothing ruins a silky casserole faster than grit in the greens.
- Cut the spinach into strips before cooking so it distributes evenly in the casserole rather than clumping.
- Emmentaler has a mild, nutty flavor that melts beautifully. Gruyere is a fine substitute if your cheese counter doesn’t carry it.
- Go easy on the nutmeg. A tiny amount adds warmth and depth, but too much will overpower the spinach.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash and clean spinach of sand. Dry. Cut spinach into strips. In a large Dutch oven, heat butter until bubbly. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Grease an ovenproof casserole. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the casserole. Add the spinach. Sprinkle with paprika, nutmeg, and pepper. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 360 degrees F about 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.
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