SOUTHERN SPINACH

Celebrating the Holidays with your family & friends can be one of the most joyous times of the year, but also one of the most stressful. My number one rule for a stress free Holiday is to plan ahead. Make a timeline, a to-do list, & even prep food ahead of time.

SPINACH MADELEINE is one of my favorite Thanksgiving sides & it's also one that freezes beautifully! To get a jump start on our Thanksgiving meal, I prepped this dish a week before & sent it straight to the freezer, leaving me time to get other things done.

Now all I need to do is bake it off & serve it up in a festive dish!

If you've never tried SPINACH MADELEINE, you're in for a real treat. It's a little bit cheesy, a little bit spicy, & whole lotta delicious. Even though I'll be serving this as a side dish, it is also great as a dip!

This Southern dish is sure to make your Holidays tasty!

SPINACH MADELEINE

(adapted from a recipe in "River Road Recipes" published by The Junior League of Baton Rouge, 1959)

4 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach

1 stick of salted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 chopped onion

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup reserved spinach liquid

12oz jalapeno Velveeta, cut into chunks

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

red pepper flakes

salt + pepper

Cook spinach according to package directions (I usually just microwave mine until cooked through). Drain spinach & reserve the liquid.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion & cook until translucent. Add flour, stirring until combined. Slowly add your evaporated milk & reserved spinach liquid, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth & thick.

Add the cheese, Worcestershire, celery salt, garlic salt, garlic powder, & a dash of red pepper flakes. Stir until cheese is melted then add your cooked spinach. Add salt + pepper to taste.

This may be served immediately or put into a casserole for later. The flavor is improved if this dish is prepared & then kept in the refrigerator overnight. This may also be frozen. I like to put mine in an aluminum pan, pressing plastic wrap onto the surface to keep out air, then covering the top of the pan in foil. When ready to serve, remove the frozen spinach from the freezer & let sit out on the counter for 60 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap, but recover with the foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 90 minutes, until cooked though.

Enjoy!