Spinach and Fontina Cheese Casserole

By Lucia Ferrara

This is super simple recipe that is both light and filling. No one will be able to resist this dishes’ toasty cheesy topping, crunchy bottom layer and the fluffy, eggy center.

The spinach, peas and scallions always make me think of spring, so this is a perfect dish for this time of year. It is a great dish for a brunch, Easter breakfast or an evening get together with friends. Pair it with a wonderful salad and you’ve got a complete lunch. Serve with a bowl of steaming soup and you’ve got a light dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 6 cups cubed day-old bread, crusts removed
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 pound of frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 cup grated cheese (asiago, parmesan, grana padano or what you have on hand.)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup fontina cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 cup panko crumbs

Cooking as a spiritual practice

A Prayer in Springtime

Everywhere is the green of new growth.

The amazing sight of the renewal of the earth.

We watch the grass once again emerging from the ground.

We notice the bright green atop the dark green on the pine, the fir, the hemlock, the spruce, the cedar

The alder is already in leaf.

The old plum trees blossom, leaf and give forth fruit.

The locust is late as always.

Everywhere and always the song of birds, bees raiding the orchard, Racoon prowling at nightfall, the earthworm tunneling the garden, Chickens and rabbits pecking and nibbling, The goats tugging to reach new delights.

All are the ubiquitous energies of life.

O God, may we today be touched by grace, fascinated and moved by this your creation …

May our bodies, our minds, our spirits, learn a new rhythm paced by the rhythmic pulse of the whole created order.

—Reprinted from the Chinook Psalter, found in Earth Prayers from around the World edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon (HaperSanFranciso, 1991)

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[Lucia Ferrara, the Director of Hospitality at Precious Blood Renewal Center. Share your thoughts with Lucia or ask her questions using the form below or by sending an email to info@pbrenewalcenter.org.]

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