Greek Spinach Casserole (gluten-free)



The Greeks know how to do Easter.  Spanakopita is a staple for Greek Easter, along with all the lamb.  I also call this delicious treat spanakopita Minus The -Opita  What the what?! You know, the Greek spinach pie with the phyllo - spanakopita without the phyllo. "Pita" means pie in Greek.... So I guess it's really more like Greek spinach casserole, but spanakopita minus the -opita sounds like more fun to me.  I make this for just about every holiday and party that I'm asked to bring food throughout the whole year. This is super easy to make and everyone loves it. Better still, it is gluten-free, and can be served at any temperature. Since this recipe uses such few ingredients, the quality is paramount. Use fresh baby spinach, nice and tender green onions/scallions, and the best sheep's milk feta you can find. Please, for the love of god, don't ever buy the pre-crumbled feta. My favorite feta is the French sheep's milk feta cheese at Costco, which is super-affordable. Costco is a great place to buy the spinach, too.

This would complement my Italian Style Smashed Potatoes well.

Greek Spinach Casserole
Ingredients:
  • olive oil, 1/4 cup
  • spinach, fresh, 1 pound
  • salt, 1/2 teaspoon
  • pepper, black &/or white, 1/2 teaspoon
  • dill, 1/2 teaspoon dry or 1 teaspoon fresh
  • oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dry (optional)
  • green onions/scallions, 1 bunch
  • sheep's milk feta, 1/2 pound / 8 ounces
  • eggs, 4 large, lightly scrambled
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly spray a brownie pan (8x8). I used my work-horse toaster oven.
  2. Heat up a large saute/fry pan or wok over medium heat. I find a wok works best, because it's kind of a bowl and reduces the need to get out a large mixing bowl. Put in the olive oil. Grab a large handful of the spinach, chop up the spinach into thick strips and immediately add into the wok. Saute with a spatula, and repeat this process handful by handful until gone. This way the moisture has time and space to cook off before adding in more spinach and you aren't overwhelmed with too much on the cutting board. Chop and cook as you go is the way to go. Add in the salt, pepper, dill, oregano and mix well. Chop up the scallions, white end first, add into the wok. Follow with the green part of the scallions, chopped. Turn off the heat. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally.
  3. Make sure the spinach mixture is not piping hot. Crumble up the feta coarsely and far from perfect and add into the spinach mixture and gently fold in. This is the time to add in taste, before adding in the eggs! Adjust seasonings as needed. Add in the eggs and carefully fold in mixture until somewhat homogeneous.
  4. Turn into the lightly oiled pan, smooth top with silicone spatula/spoon, and cook in a preheated (toaster) oven at 375F degrees for about 30 minutes. The top will turn a nice brown color. Allow to cool before cutting and serving. Makes about 9-12 portions, depending how you cut it.
-Erin Swing
Swing Eats

This is part of Food Network's Sensational Sides Food Fest. Check out The FN Dish. The spring food we're focusing on here are Easter sides.  On twitter, we're tagging #SensationalSides. Here’s the link to our Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/foodnetwork/lets-pull-up-a-chair/. Here are delicious recipes for Easter side dishes:

Feed Me Phoebe: Green Goddess Avocado Toasts with Roasted Spring Vegetables and Tahini Sauce
Dishing with Divya: Thai Roasted Vegetables with Peanut Coconut Sauce
Haute Apple Pie: Smoked Gouda Scalloped Potatoes
Food for 7 stages of Life: Spicy Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
The Recipe Specialist: Spring Vegetable Tart
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Ceviche Appetizer
Red or Green: Taos Cowboy Caviar
Creative Culinary: Avocado and Orange Chopped Salad with Orange Honey Mustard Dressing
Swing Eats: Greek Spinach Casserole (gluten-free)
Dishin & Dishes: Deviled Egg And Avocado Dip
Daily*Dishin: Perfect Deviled Eggs 5 Ways
FN Dish: 5 Fuss-Free Easter Side Dishes

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