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This traditional Louisiana recipe was first presented in River Road's
cookbook from the Junior League of Baton Rouge. It is safe to say
that this single recipe made the book world famous. In the late
1990s, Kraft foods did away with their jalapeño cheese roll
which was originally used in the recipe. Recently, an alert customer
informed us that Kraft's Velveeta line introduced a similar Mexican
cheese.
Ingredients:
- 2 packages chopped spinach, frozen
- 4 tbsps butter
- 2 tbsps flour
- 2 tbsps chopped onions
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup reserved spinach liquor
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¾ tsp celery salt
- ¾ tsp garlic salt
- 6 ounces Velveeta Mexican cheese, sliced into ¼-inch
cubes
- salt and red pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Method:
Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve
liquid. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour,
stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onions and
sauté 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Add evaporated milk, spinach
liquor and Worcestershire sauce slowly, stirring constantly to avoid
lumps. Cook mixture until smooth and thick, stirring constantly.
Add seasonings and cubed cheese. Stir until melted and combine with
cooked spinach. This may be served immediately or put into a casserole
and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if
the latter is done and kept in refrigerator overnight.
This traditional dish can be spruced up for the holidays by adding
¼ cup diced red bell peppers when the onions are sautéed.
There are other great dishes that can be made with this versatile
recipe, such as:
Spinach & Crabmeat Bisque: Add 1 pound of
jumbo lump crabmeat and 1 quart of half and half (or more to bring
to a soup-like consistency) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
Crawfish Spinach Dip: Add 1 pound of Louisiana
crawfish tails when you add the cheese and serve warm with tortilla
chips or crackers.
Oyster-Stuffed Artichokes Rockefeller: Add 1 tbsp
of Herbsaint liqueur and ½ cup of Italian breadcrumbs when
you add the spinach to the cheese mixture. Then, using canned artichoke
bottoms, place one oyster in the center of each artichoke. Cover
each oyster with a heaping teaspoon of Spinach Madeleine and bake
in a 350-degree oven until bubbly.
Spinach Madeleine Cauliflower Casserole: In a
3-quart casserole dish, place 1 large head of precooked cauliflower
florets. Top with Spinach Madeleine and seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
and bake until crumbs are golden brown.
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