spinach Archives - The Midnight Baker

Florentine Eggs–Perfect Poached Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 00:00:54 +0000

Florentine eggs are an elegant breakfast or brunch and can even be made ahead. Also learn how to make perfect poached eggs.

Florentine Eggs

Do these look complicated? Surprise, they aren’t.

Florentine eggs are just an assembly job and most of the components can be made in advance. Yes, even the eggs!

Since you will want perfect-looking poached eggs for this elegant dish, I’ll give instructions in this post for how to achieve a perfect poached egg right in this post.

You can change some of the components as well. Ham or Canadian bacon can replace the bacon. You can use Hollandaise sauce instead of the simple cheese sauce recipe I give. For me, Hollandaise is a bit too fussy and moreover, I don’t really care for it that much (surprise, I know!!!). But if you think it would complement this better than by all means. And that goes for any sauce you like!

Perfect Poached Eggs

Perfect poached eggs are easy–that is if you have fresh eggs and by fresh I mean it just dropped out of the chicken. Lots of folks are keeping chickens now so this is definitely a possibility. Fresh eggs have high-standing yolks that are centered and the white clings around the yolk.

However, most of us buy eggs in the supermarket and how fresh that egg is is up for debate. But if you use the following method, your eggs will come out decent looking all the time.

The secret is boiling your egg for 10 seconds to “set” the outer part of the white. First you pierce a hole with a needle or a cork board tack in the large end of the egg. The reason for that is there’s an air pocket up there and piercing relieves the pressure. Then you drop the egg into fast-boiling water for 10 seconds. Then you remove the egg.

Now, to poach eggs, you never let the water boil. You just want simmering water–where you see some small bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Don’t salt the water at this point, but add 1/4 cup of white vinegar per quart of water. This helps the whites to coagulate.

Now break your eggs as close to the water as possible so they gently fall into the water. Let them simmer for 4 minutes, then remove them to a bowl of cold, clean water. The cold water stops the cooking and gets rid of any trace of the vinegar.

At this point the poached eggs can be kept uncovered in the fridge in that bowl of water till you’re ready to use them. To reheat, just place them in some salted simmering water for about a minute. Remember to pat them dry before placing them on any other food.

Other Methods

There are other methods to get good-looking eggs.

One better known method is using these egg poachers (affiliate link). I have them and they work pretty well.

The Recipe

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Florentine Eggs

Elegant and easy breakfast or brunch

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: eggs benedict, florentine eggs, holiday breakfasts, make perfect poached eggs

Servings: 4

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 English muffins
4 poached eggs
8 slices crispy bacon
1 recipe Asian spinach

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup hot milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Separate English muffins into halves and toast.
Divide spinach evenly between the English muffins. Lay 2 slices of bacon over each muffin and top with a poached egg. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over each egg.
Serve immediately

Nutrition

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Rich Creamed Spinach

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:00:07 +0000

Creamed spinach is a perennial favorite side dish. My version is a bit richer and oh-so delicious.

Rich Creamed Spinach

Spinach is one of my favorite veggies. It seems to have become popular again since fresh baby spinach is a best seller for salads and lots of other recipes. Needless to say, I’m glad for its renewed popularity.

So it only follows that creamed spinach, a timeless favorite, is popular again. Either eaten as a side or topped with a sunny-side-up egg as a main dish, it’s just delicious.

I was lazy for years and always used to buy this in the pouch, but since it’s so easy to make, why not do it yourself?

Sauce How You Like It

The one thing I found I didn’t like about the frozen creamed spinach I’d buy is the texture of the sauce. For some reason, I don’t care much for a runny texture. You’d have to serve it in a separate dish–a bowl or monkey dish actually–and eat it with a spoon. I prefer a much thicker sauce and this recipe is for a thick sauce.

However, if you prefer a standard and thinner sauce, then reduce the flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons. For a little more substantial sauce, increase it to 4 tablespoons. In the realm of 5 or 6 tablespoons, you’re entering the really thick category. The only adjustments are in the flour, nothing else is affected.

Frozen Or Fresh

When it comes to the spinach, the choice is up to you.

I’m usually partial to fresh, but in this dish I actually prefer the frozen cut variety of spinach. I have a great way of getting out the water–and it’s loaded with water–and that’s in the recipe instructions.

If you want to use fresh, I’d go with baby spinach and at least 6 cups of it. You can wilt it prior to adding it to the sauce, but that’d be an extra step. Again, it’s up to you.

The Recipe

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Rich Creamed Spinach

A very rich and homemade version of this classic side dish

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamed spinach recipe, homemade creamed spinach, richer creamed spinach

Servings: 6

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

20 oz frozen chopped spinach

Sauce:

6 tbs flour
3 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Defrost spinach and squeeze out as much water as you can. What I do is put the spinach in a clean dishtowel and wring it out. Set aside.
Heat milk and cream in a saucepan until it's very hot.
Melt the butter in another large saucepan. Add the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg and whisk until there are no lumps. Cook for 5 minutes to cook the flour.
Slowly whisk in the hot milk/cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the drained spinach, stirring to mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes to heat the spinach.

Notes

This makes a very thick sauce where a spoon will stand up in it. If you prefer a thinner sauce, use less flour--3 tbs flour will yield a thin sauce that will make the spinach soupier in consistency. Using 4 tbs of flour will make a medium sauce.

Nutrition

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Deluxe Florentine Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 09 May 2020 23:00:53 +0000

Chicken Florentine is really an amazing way to show what a sauce will do to elevate a simple chicken breast.

Make Chicken Special

Don’t we all get in a rut when it comes to chicken? I definitely do so I think the same applies to many others too. We all tend to make chicken the same old way most times and while it’s pretty good, sometimes you just need to shake things up a bit and do something glorious with it.

Now, “glorious” doesn’t take much here. All you are doing is combining some rather ordinary ingredients that combine to make something with a wonderful flavor. I’m also willing to bet you have most, if not all, ingredients right on hand.

What Makes Chicken “Florentine?”

To me, it’s the spinach. OK you have other things, but the basic ingredients are a creamy sauce and spinach. I had a box of frozen chopped spinach lurking in the freezer so I used that. I had to squeeze out the water but at least I had it on hand. If you have fresh baby spinach, that’s better to use because it eliminates the squeezing step.

You can add lots of other things to the sauce. I often add a touch of white wine or French vermouth. However, that addition is not totally necessary.

It also includes tomatoes, and the sun-dried variety is preferred. I happened to have some of those so I used them. But you can use fresh too. Just make sure to seed the tomatoes first. Removing the skin is highly recommended too.

When it comes to something such as this cream sauce, cream is called for. Where I’m into substitutions of stuff you don’t have, milk just won’t cut it here. Evaporated milk, as long as it’s not the fat-free variety, is ok in a pinch but the sauce just won’t have that creamy taste.

As gourmet as this chicken Florentine is, it’s pretty quick to prepare.

Pasta? Of Course!

This lovely chicken makes the best presentation when served over fettuccine or linguine. If you have plain old spaghetti, that’s just as good.

You won’t have gobs of sauce unless you double the sauce ingredients, but it’s so flavorful that a little goes a long way.

The Recipe

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Deluxe Chicken Florentine

Don’t go to that chain restaurant, make this at home!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Course: Chicken, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken copycat restaurant recipes, chicken florentine, fancy chicken recipes, using spinach in main courses

Servings: 4

Calories: 882kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, about 4 medium
2 tbs olive oil

Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Romano cheese grated (see NOTES)
1 cup chopped spinach (see NOTES)
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
8 oz fettucine linguini or spaghetti, cooked

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides then remove to a baking dish and bake at 400F/200C for about 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Internal temperature should be 170F/85C. Tent with foil to keep warm
To make sauce, in the same pan you browned the chicken in, add the garlic and cook over medium heat just until it’s fragrant, a little less than a minute.
Add the cream, stock, Italian seasoning and cheese; whisk together well and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes; stir well and heat about 1 minute.
Add the chicken back to the pan and coat with the sauce. Simmer about 5 minutes.
Serve over the pasta.

Notes

If using frozen spinach, squeeze out the excess water.

Parmesan may be substituted for the Romano cheese.

Video

Nutrition

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Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 00:00:06 +0000

These spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts are so easy to make!

Easiest Stuffed Chicken Breasts Ever

There’s no fuss or muss with this stuffed chicken breast.

Why? Because you cook the chicken before you stuff it! In fact, this type of stuffing lends itself to this method. Other, more creamy stuffings may adapt well too, although I haven’t tested it yet but plan to do so.

You start by butterflying the chicken breasts. You can pound them down a bit too if you want because this will result in them cooking more evenly. I also find a couple of hits with the mallet tenderizes it too and that’s an added benefit.

Then all you do is brown each side which will almost cook the chicken, then stuff it to finish the cooking process and melt the cheese!

Spinach And Feta: A Winning Combination

Years ago when I tried feta cheese, I didn’t really care for it. However, a friend was recently raving about how delicious it was and convinced me to try it again. My friend said I may have had the bad luck to have tried an inferior brand.

He must’ve been right because this time when I tried it, I was amazed at the super flavor. Yes, it’s a bit on the salty side, but you can compensate for that by reducing any salt elsewhere in the recipe.

Spinach has a great flavor too, just like the feta does, but the combination is more than the sum of its parts here. Together they form something that’s taste is fantastic. And it’s oh-so great with chicken!

Add Ins

I had a few crimini mushrooms in the crisper so I used them up in this and it tasted wonderful. Whatever veggie you like that would go with the spinach and cheese is also fine to add. You could do some sauteed or caramelized onion in this too. That’d add a very fine flavor!

Watch The Video

The Recipe

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Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

These spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts are easy to make and cook in just 30 minutes!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken recipe, feta cheese, spinach, stuffed chicken breast

Servings: 4

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper

Filling:

1 tbs olive oil
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup crimini mushrooms or white mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Instructions

Prepare filling as follows: Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Add all ingredients, except the feta cheese. Cook, stirring constantly until spinach has wilted; remove to a bowl and stir in the feta cheese. Keep it warm.
Butterfly chicken breasts, but do not cut all the way through. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper if desired.
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and brown well on each side—about 8 minutes per side.
Remove chicken and place 1/4 of the spinach mixture in each chicken breast. Return to the skillet, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees F on a thermometer or the juices run clear.

Nutrition

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Spinach Alfredo Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 19 May 2016 23:00:04 +0000

This succulent chicken in a rich creamy spinach alfredo sauce is actually an easy one-skillet dinner!

I love a good skillet dinner! This recipe sure fills that bill with flying colors!

Chicken is one of my most favorite things to eat. I’ve always loved it and prefer it to even a good steak. Many times I get curious looks when I say that, but what can I say? I love the stuff and always have.

Last week, I made a nice vegetarian meal, Creamy Spinach & Tomato Tortellini and I thought that sauce, with some slight variations, would also go well with chicken. So I decided to give it a try.

The alterations I made to the original sauce was I used Italian flavored diced tomatoes in place of fire roasted so I’d get a more “herby” flavor. I did add additional basil and a pinch of oregano because the tomatoes were a bit too mildly flavored for my taste. I suggest you taste a bit of the juice before adding any additional herbs. If they are OK to your taste, then omit the additional herbs.

I also added more grated cheese and I used Romano for a bolder flavor. However, you can use Parmesan if you prefer that taste or have it on hand–most people do. I also substituted some of the milk with the chicken stock that formed when I cooked the chicken.

Here, I used thighs and drumsticks. But this recipe works well with boneless skinless breasts too. Again, use whatever you prefer and/or have on hand.

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Spinach Alfredo Chicken

This succulent chicken in a rich creamy spinach alfredo sauce is actually an easy one-skillet dinner!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken, skillet dinners

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken Alfredo, spinach

Servings: 4

Calories: 650kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken parts see NOTES
2 tbsp olive oil divided
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
14.5 oz can Italian flavored diced tomatoes, undreained
2 cups frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained (see NOTES)
1/2 tsp basil
Pinch of oregano
1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup reserved chicken stock -OR- equivalent amount of a good commercial stock see NOTES
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp flour

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
Brown chicken well on both sides; drain any fat from the pan.
Reduce heat, cover and cook chicken for 30-40 minutes, or until juices run clear or internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.
Remove cooked chicken and cover to keep warm while you make the sauce.
Drain accumulated stock and reserve 1/2 cup for the sauce. You may store the remainder in a covered container in the fridge for future use. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.
Heat the same skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil.
Saute the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant.
Add the undrained tomatoes, the 1/2 cup of stock and the drained spinach. Stir to combine.
Mix the flour with the 3/4 cups of milk, blending so there are no lumps.
Add the milk/flour mixture to the pan, stirring until it becomes thick and begins to bubble.
Add the cream, stirring to blend.
Add the cheese and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Nice with pasta.

Notes

Chicken--I used 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks to serve 4 (1 thigh & 1 drummie per serving). If you use boneless skinless breast, use 4 larger breast halves (about 8 oz each)

Spinach--You can substitute 2 cups of fresh regular or baby spinach for the frozen. Baby can be used whole. If using regular spinach, coarsely chop it.

Stock--I ended up with about 1/2 cup of chicken stock after I cooked the chicken. If you're using boneless skinless breast, you won't get a very flavorful stock, so it would be best to use the store-bought kind.

Nutrition

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Creamy Spinach and Tomato Tortellini

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 12 May 2016 23:00:35 +0000

This tortellini and veggie dinner goes together 1-2-3 and anyone who tastes it will declare it “the bomb.”

If you want a quick and very tasty meal, look no further than this dish!

I have to admit I love my local store’s variety of fresh pasta. They have many varieties of fresh tortellini to choose from. I picked 4-cheese for this recipe, but it can be make with any other flavor and it’d still be fantastic–especially if you can get the Italian sausage variety.

Made with cheese tortellini, the dish is vegetarian (but not vegan I am afraid), so this is something to keep in mind for Lent or if you are having company that includes folks who don’t eat meat. But this is so good, the meat eaters won’t be missing out on anything.

Another thing I really love is fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Anything that uses diced tomatoes will have a flavor lift if you substitute them. If you have regular diced or petit diced on hand, those can be easily substituted for the fire-roasted variety.

Because this dinner has ample quantities of both tomatoes and spinach, it’s a complete meal. Clean up is easy too because all you use is two pots–one to cook the pasta and the other to assemble and complete the cooking.

This sauce is creamy, slightly cheesy and so delicious. This is also a kid pleaser.

How much better can you get than a meal that’s fit for company and pleases youngsters?

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Creamy Spinach and Tomato Tortellini

This tortellini and veggie dinner goes together 1-2-3 and anyone who tastes it will declare it “the bomb.”

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Everyday Meals, pasta, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: creamy spinach, tomatoes, tortellini

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 759kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pkg 16-20 oz fresh cheese tortellini
14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chopped frozen spinach defrosted and drained (see NOTES)
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp fresh basil -OR- 1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp flour

Instructions

Cook tortellini per package directions; drain and set aside (do not rinse)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until it becomes fragrant and onion begins to get translucent.
Add undrained tomatoes, basil, spinach, salt and pepper.
Add the drained tortellini and stir to combine.
Mix the milk and cream; add the flour, blending so there are no lumps—I put this in a covered container and shake it.
Add the milk mixture and the cheese. Stir constantly until sauce begins to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Notes

You can substitute fresh spinach for the frozen. Roughly chop it and use 2-3 cups

Nutrition

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Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 23:00:59 +0000

Super-moist chicken breasts stuffed with a garlicky spinach and mozzarella filling. Easy and yummy!

I guess everyone knows by now how much I love chicken and there’s nothing I love better than a tasty stuffed chicken breast. The only bad thing about that is it’s often difficult to do and worse yet, the filling always leaks out.

Well, I have to tell you I found another fantastic, yet easy way to accomplish this! You cut the chicken breast like Hasselback potatoes! I found it on Pinterest and thought the original recipe from Cook It Fit could be tailored to my personal tastes.

First I LOVE how she stuffed it and the basic ingredients, but I for my taste, the seasonings needed more oomph. Plus, I used my new-found way to keep chicken moist and keep breadings in place–mayonnaise. Yep, mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is mostly oil so it replaces any melted butter or olive oil you’d drizzle over the chicken. The big-time benefit is that mayonnaise stays in place (at least for a while before it melts).

So what I did to add some of the flavors I like so I added garlic. Basically, I made my Asian spinach recipe and added the cheese to that.

Then I made cross cuts on the top of the breast almost all the way through–I did this about every inch or so–if you’ve seen Hasselback potatoes, the cuts are made like that but much wider apart . Then stuffed the filling into the cuts and smeared some mayo over the breasts.

The finishing touch was seasoned bread crumbs to which I added extra cheese. In this case, a tasty Romano. But you could also use Parmesan or even Asiago if you wanted.

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Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

Super-moist chicken breasts stuffed with a garlicky spinach and mozzarella filling. Easy and yummy!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mozzarella, spinach, stuffed chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup flavored bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

FILLING

5-6 oz bag/box baby spinach
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 cup shredded or diced mozzarella see NOTES
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Mix the bread crumbs and grated cheese in a small bowl; set aside.
Make 3-4 deep cuts across the top of each chicken breast about 1-1.5-inches apart (mine were large breasts and I got 3 cuts spaced 1.5-inches apart). Set aside while making the filling
For filling--heat the oil in a large deep pan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and spinach and stir constantly until spinach is completely wilted--about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the mozzarella. Stir until cheese starts to melt.
Divide filling evenly among the 4 breast pieces.
Coat each chicken breast with about 1 tbs of mayonnaise.
Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Divide bread crumb mixture between the 4 chicken breasts. Return to oven and bake an additional 30-35 minutes or until chicken is done (175 degrees F on a meat thermometer or until juices run clear)

Notes

I used small cubes (1/4-inch cubes) of mozzarella that I cut myself. This melts so much better than the pre-shredded variety which has cornstarch and other additives to prevent it sticking together--I find that inhibits melting to some degree.

Nutrition

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Asian Spinach

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Asian Spinach

So easy, yet so tasty. Spinach haters may give this one a go.

This Asian spinach is so easy to prepare.

It takes less than 5 minutes to make and will be a hit with the entire family.

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Asian Spinach

So easy, yet so tasty. Spinach haters may give this one a go.

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time7

Course: side dishes

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian spinach, spinach

Servings: 4

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 bag about 4-5 cups baby spinach or regular spinach, washed and de-stemmed
1/2-1 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

Heat oil and crushed garlic over high heat in large saucepan. Oil must be heated almost to the smoke point. Swirl pan constantly, and remove and discard garlic when it starts to turn golden.
Place spinach in hot oil and stir constantly, maybe for 1 minute. Add salt and stir. Spinach will wilt down to 1/2 the original amount.
Serve immediately. Makes about 4 servings.

Nutrition

Asian Spinach

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Spinach & Sausage Nibblers

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:18:00 +0000

Spinach & Sausage Nibblers (phyllo cup method)

What a great idea for game day.

Same filling used in 2 different styles of nibbles.

The first uses phyllo cups and the second uses refrigerated crescent roll dough. Both are very easy and very tasty.

Spinach & Sausage Nibbles

1 box chopped spinach, drained and pressed
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 beaten eggs
8 oz bulk sausage, browned and drained
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs dry plain breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
48 small phyllo cups (about the size of mini muffins) -OR-
2 rolls refrigerated crescent roll dough

Mix together all ingredients except phyllo cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a heaping teaspoon of spinach mixture in each cup. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until filling is set and phyllo cups are golden brown.

If using crescent roll dough, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place about 1 tbs of filling at the wide end of the triangle and roll up as for crescent rolls. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

If you prefer to make the cups from phyllo sheets, you will need approximately 12 sheets and 1/4 cup melted butter and a mini muffin pan.

Separate the stack of 12 sheets in to 2 stacks of 6 sheets. Brush layers with melted butter and cut into 3-inch squares. You will use 1 3-inch stack per cup. Fit one sheet in cup, letting sides overhang. Repeat with remaining 5 sheets, overlapping each previous sheet. Repeat until all cups are filled. There is an excellent video on You Tube by “fifteenspatulas,” showing how this is done.

Spinach & Sausage Nibblers (crescent method)

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