Though this recipe calls for frozen spinach, you can easily use fresh spinach if you cook it first. You can microwave it, steam it, or blanch it briefly, until the leaves are just wilted. Let it cool, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Depending on the spinach (baby or mature), around 12-16 oz fresh spinach should give you enough to make 1-1/2 cups cooked. This recipe is very forgiving, so a little more or less spinach will not make a lot of difference!
Whether you use frozen or fresh, the spinach should be chopped to make for easier eating. A quick chop into bite-size pieces will do the trick.
This is my wife’s recipe, and she can’t remember where it came from originally. Her well-worn copy was typed on an index card, and she’s been making it for years. It’s not exactly a quiche, and not exactly a tarte. She just calls it a Spinach Pie, and that’s good enough for me! Served with a side salad, it makes a great meatless meal, and it tastes even better the next day.
For a little extra flavor, use feta cheese to replace some or all of the mozzarella, and cut back on the added salt. Ricotta cheese can also be used instead of the cottage cheese.
Spinach Pie
A Happy Acres original
1 pie crust (we used frozen, ready to bake)
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, plus 2 tbsp for top of pie
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
2 tbsp horseradish or to taste
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil until soft. Add spinach, cook until heated. throughout and any liquid has evaporated. Remove to mixing bowl and let cool thoroughly.
3. Combine beaten eggs, cheeses, horseradish, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add spinach mixture, stir until well combined.
4. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of mozzarella evenly over top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned on top and set in middle. Let cool before cutting and serving.
Servings: 4
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 332 calories, 165 calories from fat, 18.6g total fat, 124.1mg cholesterol, 744.5mg sodium, 324.1mg potassium, 22.5g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 6.3g sugar, 18.9g protein, 295.7mg calcium, 5.2g saturated fat.