This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a little off the top to help me keep this website running. It doesn’t cost you extra or affect my opinion.
The Spinach Maria recipe was originally housed in my Holiday ebook, but now it’s here, for everybody! For free! Don’t let the name fool you: I didn’t invent this dish. A midwestern restaurant chain named Calhoun’s did, from what Google tells me.
Spinach Maria Ingredients
Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Spinach Maria recipe:
- Frozen chopped spinach: Thaw it and make sure it’s drained, thoroughly. I use my potato ricer or a cheesecloth to wring out as much moisture as I possibly can. You don’t want it to be watery! If you choose to use fresh spinach you’ll need to chop it up and cook it down first, then press out excess moisture.
- Yellow onion, garlic: Our aromatics, minced up so fine they pretty much dissolve and aren’t noticeable texture wise in the Spinach Maria.
- Sharp white cheddar, Monterey jack, white amerikan: The cheeses! I’m not sure what Calhoun’s uses but I think this combination is the best. Melty, tangy, and creamy.
- Salted butter, whole milk: You can use another fat to sauté the aromatics in if you like. Whole milk dos the heavy lifting in this recipe, and is the perfect vehicle for all the flavors.
- Garlic powder, dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes: Spinach Maria is noticeably spicy, by design. I like to add a little extra hot pepper along with the cayenne and red pepper to make it extra spicy, but I toned it down for this written recipe.
How to Make Spinach Maria
Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Spinach Maria recipe:
- Get ready to rumble. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 8×8″ baking dish. Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions and sauté until translucent: 5–7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, and use a spatula to stir the flour into the butter and onions, forming a thick paste. If you’re unable to incorporate all the flour, add a teaspoon more or oil or butter to help you work it together. Cook the paste, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.
- Start the Stirring. Add the milk, garlic powder, and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the spinach and red pepper flakes, followed by the cubed cheddar and white amerikan. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave it alone and allow the cheese to melt. Mix together the shredded cheddar and jack cheeses while you wait. After a few minutes, remove the lid and stir the melted cheese into the spinach and milk. Once everything is evenly distributed, give it a taste. If you think it needs salt, go ahead and add it now.
- Bake the Spinach Maria. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and scatter all the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 17 minutes, until the top has deeply browned. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before digging in. Dassit!
Obligatory Pin –
Spinach Maria
- Total Time: 8 servings
Description
I didn’t name it: Calhoun’s did when they invented it!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 (10 oz) packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
- 1 small white onion, minced
- 2 1/2 C whole milk
- 2 C white amerikan cheese, cubed
- 1 C sharp white cheddar, cubed
- 1/2 C sharp white cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 C monterey jack, shredded
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 8×8″ baking dish. Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add the butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions and sauté until translucent: 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic, and sauté another 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic, and use a spatula to stir the flour into the butter and onions, forming a thick paste. If you’re unable to incorporate all the flour, add a teaspoon more or oil or butter to help you work it together. Cook the paste, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.
- Add the milk, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the spinach and red pepper flakes, followed by the cubed cheddar and white amerikan. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave it alone and allow the cheese to melt. Mix together the shredded cheddar and jack cheeses while you wait.
- After a few minutes, remove the lid and stir the melted cheese into the spinach and milk. Once everything is evenly distributed, give it a taste. If you think it needs salt, go ahead and add it now. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and scatter all the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 17 minutes, until the top has deeply browned. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before digging in. Dassit!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Recipe Card powered by
No Comments