Spinach and Sausage Pie

Favorite Restaurant Casserole Recipe

For the restaurant recipe for this Spinach and Sausage Pie Casserole you should select your favorite sausage, one that will give the casserole "the punch" you prefer.

My personal favorite is a good Polish sausage!

 That is the way I make it to serve at the restaurant and the guests really enjoy it.

I do not recommend using fresh spinach for this restaurant recipe. You would have to cook a very large pot of spinach to achieve the amount called for in this casserole recipe and then you would have to squeeze out all the moisture and chop it.

Spinach and Sausage Pie

Favorite Restaurant Casserole Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes. Serves 6-8 depending on portion.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thinly sliced or diced (or bulk) Polish sausage or Italian sausage
  
• 4 eggs, beaten
• One 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 ounces (2 cups) Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups cream-style cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 basic pie crusts (see below)
• 1 beaten egg (separate container from other eggs - use to brush crusts)
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage until browned
• Drain well
• Combine the four beaten eggs, the spinach, the cheese, the cottage cheese, the milk and the seasonings in a mixing bowl
• Stir in the sausage and pour into the bottom crust in a pie pan
• Moisten edges of crust with water and place the top crust on the pie crimping the edges
• Combine the one beaten egg and the tablespoon of water and brush this mixture over the top pie crust
• Cut slits in the crust to allow for venting
• Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes
• Cover the edges of the pie with foil and bake 35 minutes more
• Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting

Pie Crust Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons of shortening
• 1/2 cup of ice water

Instructions:

• Combine the flour and the salt in a mixing bowl
• Add the shortening and blend with a pastry blender until crumbly and the size of peas
• Slowly add most of the ice water until the mixture holds together
• If too dry, add the remaining ice water (the dough should not be too dry or too wet)
• Gently (or the dough will get tough) knead the dough into a ball and divide it into two pieces
• Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth and gently pat one piece into your pie pan (do not stretch the crust or it will shrink when baking)
• Use the other piece for the top of the spinach and sausage pie

Enjoy your Spinach and Sausage Pie Casserole and the company of those your share it with! Enjoy all of these real restaurant recipes.

Donna

"Leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, collards, Swiss chard, and spinach are the most nutrient-dense of all foods."

-- Joel Fuhrman