Spinach and Cheese Souffle

Time got away from me this last few weeks and I didn’t do a lot of stuff I was planning on, I wanted to have a nice variety of sweets for Thanksgiving, I will end up with pumpkin cookies and if I’m lucky something else. I wanted to blog about a few of my Thanksgiving favorites and this is the first one I got to so far…but it is a must on our Thanksgiving family table.

Today I am sharing my spinach and cheese souffle recipe with you. It is a favorite of both my brother-in-law and my husband (besides the stuffing that my mother-in-law makes, the best ever, trust me!) and I still didn’t find a person that doesn’t like this.

Now let me tell you a story.
My very first Thanksgiving experience was just a few short months after I moved here to the US and the night before hubby and I eloped to Vegas to get married. I didn’t know the traditions and I don’t think I brought anything to the table except maybe drinks. We always celebrate at my in laws and they make a wonderful turkey with stuffing, baked yams and potatoes, corn and they had cranberry sauce, from the can. Like many many people do. I did NOT like it. I loved the stuffing and turkey and enjoyed my baked potato, but please move that red disaster away from me. And a potato, that is orange? And sweet? You got to be kidding me, right? It took two more years to realize how very very awesome yams and sweet potatoes are.
It also took me several years to understand peanut butter and maple syrup. But boy do I get it now. I was better of before. or my behind to be more accurate.
Around that time I also accepted that fruit stuff is OK to eat with birds, so I started making my own cranberry sauce, which is also awesome.

Anyway. I felt I wanted to contribute to this beautiful feast, so next year I was already working in a school and I was asking for some advice from my colleagues to what could I bring.
I had three bosses at that time, Kathy, Jamie and Mary Beth. I knew then, but especially today, how lucky I was then, they were the best bosses you could wish for. They all gave suggestions, but Mary Beth swore by this spinach and cheese souffle that is full proof to make and everyone loves it. I don’t remember where she got it from, but I decided on that. I made it the next years to the letter and after that changed just a few things and I’ve been making it for the last 8 years, I think there would be a mutiny if I showed up there without it.

This amount usually gives us a nice scoop each, for about 12 to 14 people. Forget the seconds, and everyone wants the seconds. So if you want that or have more people to serve, make two. I’m not sure I would double it up in one dish though…

Spinach and Cheese Souffle


1 pckg of frozen spinach, thawed
6 eggs
6 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 melted stick of butter
1 container of small curd cottage cheese
salt   (I go generous on it, probably at least 2 tsp)
16 to 20 oz of grated cheese (you can go with American, cheddar or some of the lighter Italian cheeses, I like Italian mix without Parmesan)

Squeeze the water out of the spinach and set aside. Beat the eggs and mix with the flour. Add 2/3 of your cheese and cottage cheese, spinach and mix.
Add melted butter and salt and pour everything into a buttered 2 quart dish. Sprinkle the top with the rest of your cheese and put it in the oven.
Bake on 350 for about 50 minutes and then do a toothpick test in the middle. If it doesn’t come out clean adjust your baking time for little longer.
This is the last thing that should come out of your oven, we do it while the turkey is resting and we just add the wrapped baked yams (already done) towards the end to warm them up. Serve immediately.

This is not one of those souffles that rise up to heaven. It will rise some but also settle down within 10 minutes, it isn’t such a looker how much it just tastes nice. To me it is more like a fancier casserole, but who am I to change the name of this dish 🙂
Give it a try!