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