This simple salad is a fun way to add patriotic colors to your table! Full of produce that’s in season locally between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, it is particularly perfect for the season.
This salad comes together so quickly that it’s an easy one to add to your holiday table, regardless of what you already have on the menu!
Continue readingSpanakopita is a classic greek dish. A hearty layer that mixes spinach, feta, and egg is sandwiched between two flaky layers of phyllo. It’s something I’ve loved for years – and made different versions of – but I hesitated to dive into a more traditional recipe.
This is a dish that takes a little time and patience – but it’s definitely worth the effort.
Continue readingHave you made your Thanksgiving plans yet? We’ll be a party of four this year – which food-wise can be a little tricky. I’m excited for the challenge of sizing down and aiming to not spend all day in the kitchen – and this side nails both.
This spinach dish is sized for 4 and takes only 15 minutes, making it a great option to add to your holiday menu – or as a side for any busy night!
Continue readingWe’re getting so close to Easter – which means the meatless meal series is close to wrapping up for the year! It always surprises me how fast it goes – Easter always seems so far away when I start planning these posts out!
Of all the meals I’m posting for this year’s series, this one is the guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Are you ready for Halloween? We’re in full Halloween mode here. We’ve had trunk or treats the last two nights, and more fun planned for next week – but we’re getting slammed by a nor’easter this weekend so we’re taking it slower.
Which means it’s the perfect weekend for a fun, festive breakfast.
When Sue of Palatable Pastime suggested doing a #DeadAndBreakfast event, I was all in. Combining breakfast and Halloween? How can you go wrong!
These festive pastries are scrambled eggs with spinach and Mozzarella wrapped up in puff pastry. The spinach gives the eggs the fun green color, but if you’re not a fan you could always leave them yellow – or use a little food coloring.
Breakfast Mummy Pastries
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Serves 8
9 eggs, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 package puff pastry sheets
1 tsp. water
16 sliced olives
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly beat 8 of the eggs.
In a blender, combine the heavy cream and spinach until thoroughly pureed. Whisk into the eggs.
In a large skillet, scramble the eggs. At the end, stir in the cheese to melt.
Unroll the puff pastry onto a cutting board and cut each square into 6 rectangles – 12 total.
Lay out 8 of the rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut the remaining 4 into strips. Top each rectangle with the eggs, then use the puff pastry strips to create a mummy-wrap pattern over top of them, pressing the edges into the bottom puff pastry to seal.
Beat the remaining egg with water and brush over the top of the pastry. Add olive eyes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puff pastry is golden. Serve immediately.
It’s National Pizza Month – a holiday my kids can really get behind. Even as “good eaters”, they’re not immune to the lures of a good pie, and when tasked with picking dinner, they’ll pick pizza 99% of the time.
But, they rarely want anything other than cheese pizza, which is why I got excited for this linkup – an excuse to make a blog worthy pizza? Sold.
This pie is delicious, but the onions are what really sold me. Hitting them with the balsamic vinegar at the end add such a great depth of flavor – and they pair brilliantly with the bacon and spinach. This is easily one of the best pizzas I’ve ever made!
And if you want more reasons to celebrate this month, here are a few from my fellow blogger friends:
Caramelized Onion, Bacon & Spinach Pizza
(adapted from Cooking Classy)
Makes 1 12″ Pizza
1 lb. pizza dough or a prepared crust
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large red onion
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup frozen spinach, thawed and rung out well
2 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cup milk
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Put your pizza stone in the oven, if you have one.
In a skillet over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Slice the onion thinly and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is soft then stir in the sugar. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until caramelized. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Roll out the pizza dough into a 12″ round.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in garlic and flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. While stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
Spread the garlic sauce over the prepared dough. Top with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Sprinkle bacon, onions, and spinach evenly over the pizza. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
I’ll be honest: I gave up on football months ago. The Giants were awful – and then they pulled the stupid stunt of benching Eli and we stopped even pretending we were going to watch.
But, if you aren’t as pessimistic and are looking for a fun munchie for the Super Bowl, I submit to you this awesome take on spinach dip – made in the Instant Pot! You could totally do this on the stove top, too, but the Instant Pot speeds it up nicely and makes it a little less hands-on – which is awesome if you’re hosting a party.
This dip is creamy and flavorful without being spicy. And you can tell yourself there’s a whole pound of spinach in there to make yourself feel better as you shovel it down. (Remember, we talked about compromise the other day?)
We served this with cubed up pumpernickel bread, but it would be great with other types of bread and veggies too!
Also, I’m linking up with my #FestiveFoodies friends today who are also sharing #FootballFoods – you can check them out here:
Instant Pot Cheesy Southwest Spinach Dip
(adapted from The Cents able Shoppin’)
Makes about 4 cups
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. fresh spinach
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup half and half
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 4-oz. can sliced black olive, not drained
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Hit the sauté button and add the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic, spinach and tomatoes. Let cook until the spinach is cooked down and then turn off the sauté.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, close valve, and set the manual cook time for 4 minutes. When finished, do a quick pressure release. Stir everything until well combined then scoop into a bowl to serve.
You know what’s tricky about Lenten Fridays with a toddler? Lunch.
He is, in general, really good about eating whatever we’re eating for dinner. I’m one of those mean moms with an “eat it or go hungry” policy. But, lunch is another story. I usually let him pick his own lunch and that means we have a healthy rotation of dinosaur chicken nuggets and cold cuts. So far, Lenten Friday lunches have meant PB&J. For both of us.
I wasn’t sure how this would go over, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. Jake ate half of his quesadilla before declaring he didn’t like it and requesting something else. Half of a spinach-filled, whole wheat wrap? I’ll take it.
And, I loved these so I was happy to steal the rest of his. Serve with tzatziki or sour cream for dipping. We added some olives on the side for a light lunch. If this was dinner, I would have opted for a Greek salad or hummus and veggies to round out the meal!
Spanakopita Quesadillas
(from Cooktoria)
Serves 4
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 clove garlic
7 cups baby spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
1/4 cup feta crumbles
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
4 flour tortillas
In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and spinach and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until spinach is cooked down a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a bowl and pop it in the fridge.
In a bowl, mix together the egg, feta, Parmesan, and dill until thoroughly combined.
When the spinach mixture is cool enough to handle, squeeze out any remaining liquid and add the spinach to the cheese mixture. Combine well.
Divide the mixture evenly between 4 tortillas. Fold each in half and fry over low heat for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway.
Spinach dip is often a fan favorite, but this baked version – with bacon! – takes it to a whole new level.
This hot dip has been a family go-to for years. The combo of warm cheese, bacon, spinach, and artichoke is hard to beat – and this couldn’t get easier. The dip can be mixed up a few days in advance and then just baked when you want it. It’s such a great go-to for entertaining.
Serve this with crackers or bread for dipping!
Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip
(adapted from AllRecipes)
1/2 lb. bacon
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
14 oz. can quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
5 oz. container garlic-herb flavored cheese spread
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the grease and crumble into a bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix together the spinach, artichokes, cheese spread, Parmesan , sour cream, mayonnaise, and bacon.
Spread the dip into an 7×11″ baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.
