Today we continue our breakfast series with these spinach breakfast squares. When I asked my wonderful followers on my Facebook page about which recipes they would like to see on this breakfast series, many asked for egg recipes and make ahead recipes. I hope these spinach squares will satisfy both.
When I was a kids I would not get within 10 feet of anything that contained spinach. No matter how much my mum tried to convince me of the health benefits,I just couldn’t stand the stuff and there were not enough Popeye episodes to change my mind
Fast forward , years later, I have my own kids and I always try to add as many healthy ingredients to their diets as possible. So I was on a mission to find recipes that will help me make peace with spinach! This recipe was the first of many that convinced me that I was really missing out and it was time to take on the black the green (any game of thrones fans out there?)
These spinach squares, can be made the day before or even on the weekend and then you can store them in the fridge. All you have to do is heat them and breakfast is served in 5 minutes. I love these with a squeeze of lemon juice, the kids love them with ketchup! (at least they are eating spinach! that is what I tell myself). Either way these have become a family favorite that I hope you will enjoy too.
These spinach squares can be served as a main meal on days when you feel like breakfast for dinner. You can also use them as a filling to make a quiche.
Spinach breakfast squares
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped (you can use green onions)
6 cups (10 oz) (284 g) fresh spinach or 1 (10 oz)package frozen (see notes)
1 cup mushrooms sliced thinly (optional)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup milk
5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (you can use herbs de Provence)
2 slices Frico smoked cheese cut into strips
2 slices Emmental cheese cut into strips
Making the spinach squares
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C . Lightly grease a 9 inch pie or Quiche pan.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onions, cook while stirring for 5-7 minutes
- Add the mushrooms (if using), cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are slightly brown 10-15 minutes
- Place spinach in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until wilted.
- Drain off any remaining liquid set aside to cool
- When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible
- Add the spinach to the cooked mushrooms and onions, toss to combine
- In the blender or food processor add the eggs, ricotta cheese, milk, basil, salt and blend until you get a homogenous mix
- Place the spinach mushroom mix in your pie pan
- Sprinkle the smoked cheese and Emmental on top
- Add the egg mixture and make sure it is well distributed (you will feel that you need more egg mixture but it will puff up in the oven)
- Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the center is set.
Notes:
This recipe is really forgiving, the amounts of spinach and cheese can be changed to your liking.I usually use more spinach, up to 2 cups of squeezed spinach.
The cheese: You can use any combination of cheeses you like, cheddar, Emmental, ricotta or mozzarella cheese. I like to use ricotta mainly with a little smoked cheese and Emmental for flavor.
You can easily turn this into a quiche. Use a store bought crust or make your favorite crust recipe. You can find mine here and if you are looking for a lighter healthier crust version you can try this one and use the recipe above as a filling.
You can make these ahead of time and store them in the fridge, all you have to do in the morning is heat them and breakfast is served in 5 minutes.
Coming soon on our breakfast series
Tonette Joyce
/ January 19, 2013Sawsan; I like spinach very much and these sound great! My mother used to make spinach balls and although I have the recipe in a book that she got her idea from, those were one of the very few things I did not stand at her elbow to learn.My point is that they had a lemony sauce, which reminds me of your ‘squirt’ of lemon on your spinach. Good job!
A_Boleyn
/ January 18, 2013I don’t know how I missed these spinach squares or the baked egg posts. They look wonderful and I bet they’re oh so good.
Bernice
/ January 12, 2013Looks like a great recipe and I love spinach. Are you a photographer? Your pictures are just beautiful!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 12, 2013Hello Bernice, I am glad you enjoyed the reciep.
Thank you for your kind comment
No I am not a photographer, I am an orthodontist who loves photography
saffronandhoney
/ January 11, 2013Beautiful and pack a nutritional punch!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 12, 2013Thank you
and tasty too if I may add
Nami | Just One Cookbook
/ January 11, 2013I love that your kids get to eat such healthy breakfast to power up for a day! I heard some kids don’t even eat breakfast. I’m always a breakfast person and I could eat a few pieces of these squares.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 12, 2013Thank you Nami.
Breakfast is very important to start the day on the right note and I do my best to give the kids healthy yummy options. I am thankful they enjoy them
yummychunklet
/ January 11, 2013How very healthy and delicious! Great looking breakfast idea.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 12, 2013Thank you kindly
Nina (@ninathebaker)
/ January 11, 2013OMG…thats such a healthy one, I am gona try this. Its a great recipe…best way to make kids eat spinach too:) I am so looking forward for the baked eggs….lovely pictures
Nina
http://thefoodielovers.com
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 12, 2013Thank you Nina, I would love to hear what you think of them when you have a chance to try them
Jessica Maher (@kbelleicious)
/ January 10, 2013these look and sound amazing. I love all the spinach and what a wonderful healthy but flavorful and delicious breakfast
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 10, 2013Thank you Jessica
I have only recently started liking spinach and I love these squares, I hope you will enjoy them too
sallybr
/ January 10, 2013Another great take on breakfast, this is right up my alley, although my Mom would be shocked knowing I now love spinach AND mushrooms… would not be in the same room with either when I was growing up…
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 10, 2013Glad you like it Sally
I am glad I was not the only one who gave mum a hard time
Minnie@thelady8home
/ January 9, 2013Loved loved loved the recipe. I am going to make these asap. The best thing I liked about these is that they can be made ahead and just need to be heated to be served. But I do have a question – what would be the best way to re-heat them? Sometimes cheese gets to chewy if heated for too long.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Hello Minnie,
Thank you for your comment.
I usually put them in the oven on the middle rack for a few minutes and they are good to go. I use the oven because I threw my microwave away a couple of months ago because of health concerns. The microwave would be a good way to heat them too
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
/ January 9, 2013I’m impressed that your kids will eat anything this green. My kids were horrible. Green meant bad to both of them. Thankfully they’re grown and green is good. I think I’d prefer without the crust but a quiche would be good too.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I am thankful that they do Maureen. I prefer this without the crust too but on accasions it is nice to dress it up with a crust
With A Spin
/ January 9, 2013Love make ahead breakfast items. Great for weekday or a weekend brunch and potlucks.
Funny you bring up Popeye. Just this past Sunday he was a topic of discussion between my husband and I.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I am glad that you are enjoying the breakfast series
What was the discussion about? missing popeye? or trying to convince him to eat spinach?
With A Spin
/ January 14, 2013Neither. My younger brother or I have never watched Popeye so he was making fun of us.
Promenade Claire
/ January 9, 2013another recipe for my favourites – its spinach/chard galore on the allotment. wonderful and thank you
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I hope you will enjoy this one Claire
Spinach is everywhere here too
mjskit
/ January 9, 2013Oh I am loving this breakfast series already! What a healthy and delicious breakfast! Love the choice of cheeses!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you MJ , there is more coming on the series and I hope you will enjoy those too
Amelia
/ January 9, 2013Hi Sawsan, I love Popeye the sailor man. Thank you for sharing the video, miss this cartoon so much.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Hello Amelia
I miss old cartoons too and I thought my readers would enjoy a little popeye..glad you did
Amelia
/ January 9, 2013Hi Sawsan, awesome spinach square. Look very appetizing. Love your pictures , very well taken and beautiful presentation.
Have a nice day.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you very much Amelia for the visit and the sweet comment
wok with ray
/ January 9, 2013Really love how you make healthy dishes. That is a great idea using is as filling for quiche and I think I would try that. Thank you, Sawsan!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you Ray
it is a great filling for a quiche, you can use cream instead of the milk and more cheese on top..yum!
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide
/ January 9, 2013I bet these are awesome cold too!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I actually love them cold
Eha
/ January 9, 2013This is a fabulous recipe Sawsan! I am not a good morning person and making this from scratch would truly test my early am patience. BUT, since I can have these ready and warm them up whilst I have my juice and make my coffee: well, thank you ma’am, they surely will be apprciated
!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I am really glad you like them Eha. I think very few people are ready to make these from scratch in the morning in this fast and crazy life we live in. I usually make them in the weekend and enjoy them later in the week
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
/ January 9, 2013I love a vegetarian frittata, these look very tasty!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you Laura. It helps when one wants to stay away from meat for a day or two
myninjanaan
/ January 9, 2013these look amazing! I bet that these would be a hit with my son too
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you
I hope he will enjoy them
john@kitchenriffs
/ January 9, 2013Nice dish! I make a frittata that’s somewhat similar (greens in a frittata are wonderful, IMO) but this just screams flavor. Besides, who doesn’t want a square meal?
Good stuff – thanks.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013hehehe good one
I love greens in frittata too, they taste good and are good for you..win win situation
hotlyspiced
/ January 9, 2013I love the look of these because I adore spinach and I must have been an unusual child because I even liked it way back then. Looking forward to seeing the baked egg recipe xx
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Your mum was lucky to have a kid that is not too picky Charlie. I ate almost everything as a kid except for spinach and beets. My brother on the other hand nearly ate nothing
Choc Chip Uru
/ January 9, 2013You are able to make breakfast most exciting my friend
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013You are too kind CCU
Suzanne Perazzini
/ January 9, 2013They would make a great lunch to pack up for work. I am always looking for food that travels well. And I can eat everything in these squares.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013You can make them in the muffin tim Suzanne. Line it with cupcake liners and you have an individual portable meal
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today
/ January 9, 2013it looks amazing. I love love spinach and I must admit that I did not like it for a long time and that my mother was trying her best but nothing was working.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Glad I was not the only kid who gave mum a hard time
and that you liked the recipe
thekalechronicles
/ January 8, 2013I would eat these spinach squares, Sawsan — so good with mushrooms and cheese, too.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you Sharyn, glad you like them
Sarvani
/ January 8, 2013I actually love spinach.. can you believe that?!?! these look delish… but I have my eye on the baked egg… want to make that for the weekend!!!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I promise to post them before the weekend and I hope they won’t disappoint
Eva Taylor
/ January 8, 2013I love how densely packed with spinach these squares are, Sawsan, and I love spinach. I noticed you’re using mature spinach, if you used baby spinach the green flavour would be much milder. Feta and spinach make an amazing combo too! Love this breakfast. Kelly at Inspired Edibles made something similar a while back but she poured it into muffin cups (with a paper liner) to make them portable! Great idea for kids on the move.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Hello Eva,
actually baby spinach is not easy to come by here. Spinach here is sold in big bundles that are whole spinach plants cut off just above the roots. In these bundles you find little baby spinach plants. You can’t find baby spinach sold on its own.
I agree on the spinach and feta, they are brilliant togehter.I have seen similar recipes made in muffin cups. a great idea indeed
spree
/ January 8, 2013I eats me spinach and loves it with eggs!
Great recipe Sawsan! Great, Yet again! 
xx
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013Thank you kindly Spree, you inspired me to try baby spinach and now I can’t have enough!
Adriana @FoodCocktail
/ January 8, 2013I’m not a big fan of cooked spinach, although I love baby spinach in salads, but these look both pretty and tasty. Maybe I’ll make the courage some day and give another go to the cooked spinach.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 9, 2013I hope you will find the courage to try this Adriana. Coming from some one who hated spinach this recipe will change your mind , believe me
Victoria of Flavors of the Sun
/ January 8, 2013You hav e a knack, Sawsan, of posting just the recipe I am in the mood for. My vegetarian son is here and will love these. Thanks!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 8, 2013Tales and Travels of the Tin Man
/ January 8, 2013Those spinach squares look wonderful………….but I must admit, I am waiting for the baked eggs! How delightful they look! What fun, you always bring such creative culinary goodies to our table!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 8, 2013You are too kind Emil. The baked eggs are coming up next. I hope you will enjoy these