Not Your Mother’s Creamed Spinach

Let’s just get that solid right up front.  What I am about to share with you has nothing to do with the insipid, slimy gluey stuff that your parents used to force you to eat so that you could grow up big and strong like Popeye.  Nope.  No way.  This is rich and creamy, with so much flavor that your mouth almost explodes before the spoonful melts away leaving you with a deep desire to do that again.

Want a cigarette?

You can use frozen chopped spinach, or chop up two pounds of fresh spinanch.  This will make a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish full, so you can half the recipe if you don’t need 8-10 servings.  It freezes exceptionally well. Leftovers, if there are any, are a great filling for omelets and crepes.

• 2 lbs chopped spinach, frozen or fresh
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour ceam
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
• salt to taste (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Steam spinach slightly in the microwave or thaw it if frozen.  Place in a greased casserole dish. Set aside.
3. Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until they are beginning to caramelize. Stir into the spinach and ad salt and pepper.
4. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave.  Add the cream and sour cream and stir until smooth.  Stir in  1/4 cup of the Parmesan and quickly stir into the spinach mixture.
5. Sprinkle the top with the other 1/4 cup of Parmesan and bake for 30 minutes.

8-10 generous servings
images:(c) marye audet 2008