The next time you have company, make sure to treat them to this! This relatively simple side will have your family and friends thinking you’ve cooked all day. And if you can get little Johnny to eat spinach, then that’s a plus, too! This creamy, rich spinach dish graces the plate and stands up to any meat pairing, making it a perfect side for your next dinner party. When serving, use an ice cream scoop to make neat, perfectly shaped mounds. Try pairing it with our Savory Salmon Turnovers (page 90) or our Pastitsio (page 70).

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　Cooking spray

　　6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

　　1 medium onion, finely chopped

　　2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained

　　1 cup lightly crushed herbed croutons

　　1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

　　2 large eggs, beaten

　　2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

　　1 teaspoon garlic powder

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　2 large ripe tomatoes

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

In a medium sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté for 8 minutes or until it starts to soften. Reduce the heat to low and add the spinach, croutons, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the eggs, Tabasco, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for around 20 minutes, or until eggs are no longer runny.

　　

Step 3

Cut the tomatoes into six thick slices. Arrange the slices in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the tomato slices for 8 to 10 minutes or until they begin to soften.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the broiler.

　　

Step 5

Divide the spinach mixture evenly over the tomato slices. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on top of the spinach mixture. Return the casserole to the oven and broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately.

　　

note

Step 6

Vegetarian friendly!

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.