This was the most popular dish I made over the first days of Pesach (Passover). Other than draining the spinach, which can be a bit time consuming, it’s really simple to throw together and into the oven. This recipe easily doubles if you are having a very large crowd, and it also freezes well.
Cheesy Spinach Kugel
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 lbs of frozen spinach
8 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Heat oil over medium flame in a large skillet. Saute onions and garlic 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In the meantime, defrost and drain spinach. For defrosting, either (a) use the microwave, or (b) place under running hot water from the tap. For draining, either (a) drain in a colander then squeeze as much liquid as possible out by hand, (b) put through a salad spinner then squeeze by hand, or (c) wrap in a towel and wring out as much water as possible.
- Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in sauted onion mixture, cottage cheese, feta (if using) and 1 cup of mozzarella. Add spinach, breaking it up into smaller chunks, and stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Pour into prepared baking pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbling.
Serves 10-12 as a side dish, 6-8 as a main.