Beef-Spinach Casserole

Recently, on a cold and rainy day, I decided to stay in and cook. On such a day, this delicious casserole made the day.  This recipe is another great find from Mom's recipe box. It is a filling dish that smells so nice as it bakes and tastes even better. There are three layers: the meat layer, the spinach and ricotta layer and the cheese layer. The next time I make this recipe, I might try to increase the spinach and ricotta to make that layer thicker.

Despite the seemingly long ingredient list, this casserole is easy to make. In this recipe, I especially liked the nutmeg. It added a great flavor when mixed into the ricotta and spinach. The use of bread crumbs and tomato sauce in the meat layer reminds me of Mom's Meat Loaf. But the extra layers made this recipe unique. I did not use the mushrooms in this recipe, and you could easily leave out or modify an ingredient to customize this recipe. So give this recipe a try.

Beef-Spinach Casserole 

• 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (8) ounce tomato sauce
• 1 can (4 ounce) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces mozzarella 

Cook spinach, drain and squeeze out extra water. Set aside. Cook the beef, onion and garlic until browned. Lower heat. Stir in tomato sauce. Cook for three minutes until heated through. Add bread crumbs and toss to mix well. Spread evenly in a two-quart baking dish. Beat egg, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread over the meat. Top with mozzarella. Bake at 450 for 9 to 15 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to brown. Allow to cool. Enjoy!