Spinach Casserole (or Pasta Sauce)

Ingredients

2 packages (9 or 10 ounces each) frozen, chopped spinach
1/2 of a 10.5 ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted (so about 2/3 cup of the condensed mix)
1/4 milk (full fat or 2%), at room temperature
1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (full fat) sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter (or margarine), melted, plus additional for topping
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Up to 1 cup breadcrumbs (or coarsely crushed Ritz crackers) tossed with 1-2 tablespoons melted butter (or margarine).

Directions

Prepare (grease, if needed) a 1.5 quart (9″ x 9″) baking dish and set aside. Cook the frozen spinach in the microwave, then drain thoroughly and squeeze out all the liquid. Set aside for now. In a medium sized pot on Low heat, mix the soup concentrate, milk, sour cream, melted butter/margarine, salt, and pepper. Stir until it’s all just warmed throughout, then add in the spinach and mix well.
Transfer the mixture to your baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs. Bake in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 30 minutes or until heated through and golden brown on top.

My Notes

I used a glass baking dish so didn’t need to grease it. The whole 1 cup of breadcrumbs was too much, so I’ll only use 1/2 cup next time. We liked this as a side dish. If preparing as a main meal I’d add in some cooked onions, mushrooms, or other vegetables so it’s less like a hot dip.

For Pasta Sauce

I used up my remaining 1/2 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup by making the same recipe agian, with less cheese and minus the breadcrum topping part, to make a spinach pasta sauce. I think we liked that even better than the casserole. 😀