Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria makes an amazingly delicious side dish. But it could also, easily be served as a dip with toasted pita chips to whet your appetite before dinner.
Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria
Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria
Spinach Maria at Bimini Twist served with Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Asian Flavors and Rice
A couple of months ago I told you about our amazing meal at Bimini Twist, a restaurant in western West Palm Beach, Florida. One of the highlights, and there were many, was the Spinach Maria. It was so good that we had it, first as an appetizer, and then as a side dish, at the same meal. And the four of us at the table inhaled every last morsel of that delectable dish!
Locally caught Yellowtail Snapper topped with luscious Lump Crabmeat and Béarnaise ASauce with sides of Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Spinach Maria at Bimini Twist
Naturally, since we travel full time, I wanted to be able to enjoy Spinach Maria even when we are not in south Florida. So I did some research to find a couple of recipes from reliable sources to try out. The one that was the most similar to the Spinach Maria at Bimini Twist was from Food and Wine Magazine.
Adapting the recipe
Of course, I did play around with it just a little bit, to create my own version of Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria. My version is so luscious that you will be making this easy dish on repeat often.
Origin of Spinach Maria
The original Spinach Maria was created at Calhoun’s, which is an eastern Tennessee barbecue restaurant. And, just as the one from Calhoun’s, mine has lots of spinach, cheese and spice. Cayenne pepper and nutmeg add warm heat and there’s an extra blanket of gooey cheese over the spinach that creates an indulgent side or starter. Don’t you just love an easy dish that is also quite versatile? And, even better, you can adjust the ingredients by upping the quantity of garlic, or adding more heat with chopped hot chiles, pickled jalapeños and herbs. Heck. You could even add crabmeat to create a whole new dish.
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Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria
Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria makes an amazingly delicious side dish. But it could also, easily be served as a dip with toasted pita chips to whet your appetite before dinner.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
6 cups water
1 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon. Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and tough stems trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 very small sweet onion, finely chopped (about 4-ounces
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cups whole milk
2 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
3 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup), divided
Instructions
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Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water and set aside. In a large pot bring the water and 1 tablespoons salt to a boil over high. Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon. a spider or tongs, transfer spinach to prepared ice water to stop the cooking process. Allow to cool for about 1 minute. Drain well in a colander and then place spinach on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Put spinach in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped, about 5 or 6 pulses. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F with rack in the middle. Meanwhile, melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and stops bubbling, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, continuing to stir constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium. Whisk in the flour, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, and remaining salt. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Boil, continuing to whisk occasionally, until a thick sauce forms, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheddar and about 2/3s of the Pepper Jack cheese. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 1 minute longer. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the reserved spinach until well combined. Sprinkle evenly with remaining Pepper Jack cheese and dot with small pieces of the remaining butter.
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Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Leave the skillet in place and increase the oven temperature to broil. Broil until browned in spots, about 2 to 5 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
To change the dish a bit when serving as a starter, add herbs, pickled hot chiles and or crabmeat before placing in the oven. As a dip this Cheesy Spicy Spinach Maria is awesome with pita chips or tortilla chips, or even crackers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side dish, starter
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
