Hotdish: Spinach-Three Cheese Casserole

This recipe is a selection from TPT Cooks: Hotdishes & Casseroles, the companion cookbook to the program TPT Cooks: Hotdish!, which aired on Twin Cities Public Television.  

TPT held an open call for recipes for its first cookbook, spotlighting home-cooking, specifically hot dishes and casseroles. The response was terrific, and TPT collected dozens of recipes from viewers for the cookbook celebrating every Minnesotan's traditional meal, the hot dish.

Spinach-Three Cheese Casserole
Submitted by Joyce Johnson

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh spinach, washed, stems removed and sliced or 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter, divided
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups cooked white or brown rice
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Cook spinach if using fresh; squeeze dry. (If using frozen, thaw and squeeze dry). Place spinach in large bowl.
3. In small skillet, saute garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until light brown. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter; melt. Pour butter-garlic over spinach. Stir in Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, salt and pepper.
4. Spread cooked rice into a 1 1/2-quart shallow pan; top with spinach mixture.
5. Bake, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes or until cheeses are melted and blended. Cover evenly with sliced mozzarella. Broil about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly brown.

By Twin Cities Public Television

By Twin Cities Public Television