Creamy Spinach Casserole

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My last post was ‘Getting Enough Iron on a Plant-based Diet‘. Spinach is a great source of iron, so today I am sharing my easy and delicious Creamy Spinach Casserole recipe!

If you have cooked with frozen spinach before, you will have an appreciation for how much spinach actually goes into those packets. Just try steaming fresh spinach and you will see that a heaping pot cooks down to next to nothing.

That brings me to memories of my childhood of my brother and I picking laundry baskets of spinach for my mom to freeze for the winter. We would literally spend hours picking basket upon basketful only for mom to end up with a measly few bags.

There is a lesson here though… get even a few bites of this Creamy Spinach Casserole into your kids and it’s as if they have eaten a large salad!

This, like many of my recipes, is the reworking of an old favourite. This is a take on a casserole my mom has made every year at Christmas for the past 55 years! I have made several versions of it for the past 28 or so. (Ok seriously, how could I be that old?) We don’t have a lot of Christmas traditions, but when it comes to ones that include food, we stick to them!!

My husband has always loved this recipe so I’ve been making an effort to make it more often and not just save it for the holidays. Everyday is a special day, so don’t save the best things for infrequent events! Enjoy them often.

Animal products removed

My mom always made this Creamy Spinach Casserole with real cream cheese, eggs and loads of butter. It tasted delicious, however it was not great for our health! Sorry mom.

Luckily, with only a few simple modifications this recipe is easy to enjoy as a health conscious vegan.

How much will this recipe make?

This spinach casserole recipe will make enough for two medium-sized casserole dishes or three smaller loaf pans. I like to make it and freeze a couple for the future. If you are planning to freeze them, they do not need to be precooked. You can just pop them out of the freezer, thaw them and cook as per instructions. It is a great side dish to serve with my Mushroom Lentil Plant-loaf and a side of rice.

If you don’t need the extra spinach casseroles kicking around, spread the love and give one to your neighbor, or just cut the recipe in half. This is also an easy make-ahead dish for brunch or dinner that you can just pop in the oven!

Why is spinach so fabulous for you?

Spinach (1):

• is a great source of iron
• is a good source of protein
• is high in calcium
• is one of the best sources of magnesium
• is high in potassium, so it can reduce the effects of sodium in the body
• contains chlorophyll which is effective at blocking the carcinogens created when foods are grilled at high temperatures
• is an excellent source of beta carotene, vitamin A, C, K and folate
• is high in fiber, which promotes a healthy digestive tract and helps prevent constipation
• is important for skin, hair and bone health
• is low in calories

For more information on the benefits of spinach, click here.

(1) (Medical News Today, Health benefits and nutritional value of spinach, Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, RD,LD,ACSM EP-C, June 29, 2018- written by Megan Ware, RDN,LD.)

Creamy Spinach Casserole

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Serves: 10-12 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3, 17 ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
• 3 cups of onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounce container of plain vegan cream cheese, such as Daiya
• 3 cups bread, diced, or purchased large breadcrumbs
• 3 flax eggs, (3 tablespoons ground flax seeds and 9 tablespoons of water(slightly more than 1/2 cup) mixed and allowed to sit for a few minutes)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dry, or dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.   If you are not using premade large breadcrumbs, dice bread and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the remainder of the recipe is complete.
2. Dice onions and garlic. Fry in a large frying pan, using a touch of water to keep the pan moist, until transparent. 
3. Thaw spinach, if needed, on defrost in the microwave.  It will contain a lot of water which will need to be squeezed out and discarded.  I find it easiest to press small amounts against a fine mesh strainer. 
4. With the heat turned off to the frying pan, add the remainder of the ingredients, including the bread crumbs to the pan and stir well until fully mixed. 
5. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Lightly oil, or line with parchment paper, two medium sized casserole dishes, or three loaf pans. 
7. Spoon the spinach mix into the dishes until the mixture is about 1.5 inches thick.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until fully heated through.  

                                                                  www.thevibrantveggie.com

Notes

If you are concerned about the oil in your diet, there is oil in the vegan cream cheese. You may want to reduce it or come up with a substitution such as 8 ounces of tofu.