Popeye potluck

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Cooking for potluck dinners always causes me a little anxiety. Should I go the easy route and make something simple, like salsa, or a veggie platter? Do I make dessert?

This particular event I was debating for was a birthday, so I figured there would be cake. And if there wasn’t cake, then Mandi’s husband would be in for it.

I am attempting to not eat bread right now, so my classic spinach dip in a bread bowl was out of the question. I knew there would be some vegetarians in attendance, so I wanted to have something of substance for them to eat.

After much deliberation I zoned in on the idea of spinach balls — like meatballs, but with spinach instead of meat.

I commandeered my parents’ kitchen for this process, as it was closer to my destination and it had been a busy day. As the aroma of onions and garlic filled the house, my younger sister offered to be my sous-chef and mix the ingredients, which was perfect, because I started to remember how much I hate the feeling of raw egg on my hands.

I served the bite size yumness with marinara dipping sauce, and at the party, the dish was a hit with both meat and non-meat eaters. Two bites in, my vegetarian friend, Courtney, asked if there was meat in the dish.

“Everything that is really good, I think has to have meat in it,” she said.

I assured her that there wasn’t, and within minutes the tray was gone. Well, that might be an exaggeration. Let’s just say, there weren’t any leftovers.

Spinach balls
Servings: 18-24, depending on how big you make them

What you need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 8-ounce bag of herbed seasoned stuffing mix – I used Pepperidge Farm because it the only vegetarian stuffing mix I could find.
6 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and cook until the onions are translucent and soft, about five minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

In the meantime, remove excess water from thawed spinach. You do not need to cook the spinach.
In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix, spinach, eggs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and onion/garlic mixture. Combine well.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

One at a time, using your hands, roll the mixture into individual one-inch balls. Place each one on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the balls for about 15-20 minutes, or until slightly browned.