Shelly's Recipe

Cheesy Spinach Casserole

Category: Spinach

Yield: Serves 6

For Spinach Casserole:
1 pound organic baby spinach
4 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter,divided
3 - 4 Tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt or more to taste
1 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

For Topping:
1/4 cup Panko crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Special equipment:
1-quart casserole dish

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter a 1-quart casserole dish and set aside.

Make topping by combining all ingredients. Mix well and set aside.

Wash and drain spinach and place in a large non-stick pot over high heat. Once spinach starts to wilt, lower heat and steam until all of the spinach is wilted, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the sides. This will take just a few minutes. Do not overcook the spinach. Remove spinach from the pot and drain in a colander. Place the cooked spinach on a clean kitchen towel and press to remove the excess water (This may have to be done twice). Place the spinach on a cutting board and rough chop it. Cover with a towel and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine milk and heavy cream and 2 cloves smashed garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer a few minutes over very low heat and then cover and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse the garlic flavor. Remove the smashed cloves. If a little garlic remains, that’s fine.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, combine olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter and heat until the foaming subsides. Add mushrooms, reduce heat and sauté over medium heat. Season with a little Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until mushrooms are almost brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until mushrooms are nicely browned and sherry has evaporated. Set aside.

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, reducing heat to low, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Gradually add flour and salt, stirring constantly. Cook a few minutes over medium-low heat, continue stirring, until roux is smooth.

Slowly add milk and cream mixture in a steady stream to the roux, whisking constantly. The mixture will become quite thick. Reduce heat to low and heat until mixture is smooth and very warm, still whisking constantly. Do not let it come to a boil. Add the grated cheese and combine until cheese is melted.

Place the spinach and mushrooms in a medium bowl. Add the cheese sauce, stirring frequently to coat the vegetables. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as desired. Turn into the prepared casserole and sprinkle with Panko topping.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes until mixture is hot and bubbly and topping is browned. Let sit 5 minutes before servings.