Italian Spinach Pie

Italian spinach pie is a great recipe for those that prefer very little prep time in the kitchen! It utilizes spinach, red bell pepper, onion, cottage cheese and eggs. For those watching their weight, swap the cottage cheese for low fat or fat free, use low fat cheese and egg whites rather than whole eggs.

1 (16 oz container) Cottage Cheese
3/4 of pkg. fresh spinach, coarsely chopped OR 1 (10 oz. pkg) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
4 Lg eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. Finely diced Red bell Pepper
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 c. finely diced onion (optional)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

POUR into greased 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE 40-50 min. or until center is set.

Be sure the spinach is well drained or this won’t set well.

Variation– if you really want to infuse the spinach with seasonings, saute fresh spinach in 1 T. Olive oil in a medium skillet, add 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp oregano and salt & pepper. Saute until spinach is slightly wilted, remove from heat, let cool 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients as listed above- bake as directed.

This recipe is very versatile and can be adapted for several different meals:

• Italian Sausage Spinach Pie– add 1 lb ground sausage, browned and drained to the above recipe.
• Bacon Cheddar Spinach Pie– use cheddar cheese in place of the mozzarella and add 1/2 c. finely chopped cooked bacon
• Ham Spinach Pie– add 1 c. Diced Cooked Ham to the above recipe

Serve with Garlic Parmesean Swirl Biscuits