This easy Spinach, Feta, and Potato Au Gratin recipe is my comfort food. A simple potato casserole recipe that’s perfect for anytime.
Easy Homemade Potatoes Au Gratin
…Or, as we would call it, Vegetarian Moussaka.
I have so much to say today, yet I am speechless.
How could this happen? How could a human being wake up one day and say to himself, “I’m going to go and take the lives of 20 children today. And a few adults to go with them… yeah, I’m gonna go do that…”
Blame it on mental illness, blame it on the guns, blame it on society. You know what? I don’t know who to blame. Do I blame his parents for his upbringing? Do I blame the 2nd Amendment? Where can I point my finger? I want to feel safe when I send my kids to school! They are supposed to be taken care of while they are there, away from me.
I can’t imagine what the parents and families in Newtown are going through… I just can’t.
I want to say, I am sorry… I am a parent and this is my nightmare, as it was yours as well… I don’t want my nightmares to become a reality. Nightmares are supposed to stay in the back of your mind, stashed away and to never be seen by your eyes. But, unfortunately, this nightmare became a reality for 26 families… I am so saddened. My heart is breaking.
I can’t stop hugging Ana and Aleksandra. Ana is getting frustrated with me because I keep kissing her, but I don’t care. She can scream all she wants. There’s one too many moms wishing they could do the same, but their last kiss was on Friday morning. That’s just not fair…
I chose to share this Spinach, Feta and Potato Gratin with you because when things don’t feel right, I make something that I know will bring the whole family to the dinner table. Moussaka, or Мусака, is one of those meals. Usually we make it with ground beef, but this time around I wanted something a bit more cheesy. And green.
…Please hug your kids, tell them you love them, and enjoy your family today. I know I am.
God Bless.
Spinach, Feta, and Potatoes Au Gratin
Ingredients
- butter , room temperature, for baking dish
- 5-6 medium-sized red potatoes , washed, peeled, and sliced 1/8-inch thick, divided
- 4 bags (10-ounces) fresh baby spinach OR 3 cans (13.5-ounces) spinach, washed and drained, dry with paper towel SEE NOTES FOR DIRECTIONS ON USING FRESH SPINACH
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Rub a 13x9 baking dish with butter.
- Layer half of the potato slices in dish, overlapping slightly.
- Spread the spinach on top of the potato slices.
- Add the crumbled feta cheese over the spinach
- Layer the rest of the potato slices on top.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, and salt and pepper.
- Pour the cream mixture into dish to cover potatoes; cover with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove foil and continue to bake until top of gratin is golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I love this recipe. Made it with both canned and fresh spinach – canned is good fresh is better.
Potato skins art very nutritious and taste good – no need to peel the potatoes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream. So good!
That’s great! I’m very happy you loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Fantaaastic recipe … thank you Katerine 🙂 Fnally I’ve come across the recipe with potatoes and creamy feta spinach as I’ve been looking for in a long time … seriously … There was always something that I did not like in the recipe but yours is the recipe of perfection 🙂 I am gonna make it tomorrow, first thing in the morning … God bless you❤ ps. I’m gonna use fresh spinach and sauté it in lots of onions and garlic and then mix the cheese into it …. I might also double the size as I want to have more layers and I am also sure that simple portion would not feed my family …. now, my mouth is watering …. hugs to you ☺
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe!! 🙂
I have made this recipe three times and I love it! I serve it as a side with salmon cakes. My issue is that the potatoes seem to take a lot longer to cook for me. After 40 minutes covered, the potatoes are not close to fork tender. The only modification I’m making is using lowfat milk. Let me know if you’ve ever had this problem and if there’s something I can do differently!
Hi Zoe! I love this one, too!! I make it quite often, and I’m pretty sure sometimes the baking time, even for me, ranges between 40 and 50 minutes, but I can’t really say why. :-/ I don’t have a clue! How’s that for an answer? 😉
But, this is why I say “40 minutes, or until fork tender”… I feel like each oven has its own mind. 😉 Turn it up to 400F and see how that goes? Let me know if you try that! Have a great weekend!!
Do you think this would freeze well? It looks delicious!
Hi Jamie! I’ve never tried freezing this particular potato dish, however I have frozen other potato gratins by cooking them 3/4 through prior to freezing, then defrost on counter and reheat. I’d say the same process should work for this dish, too. I hope you have a chance to try it. It’s really good! 🙂
Thank you! I have all the ingredients to make it (planning to use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes) and it looks divine! I’m just worried I won’t be able to finish the whole thing before it goes bad. 🙂
In this recipe, 40 ounces of fresh baby spinach? 4, 10 ounce bags? Seems like a lot of spinach… I want to try this recipe, want to get the proportions correct. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth!
I am updating the recipe as we speak… I normally make this with canned spinach, but the couple of times that I made it with fresh spinach, I did use 4 (10-oz) bags. You have to cook the spinach before layering it on top of the potatoes… once wilted, 40-oz. isn’t all that much. 😀
40 oz is just fine … you want it very spinachy 🙂 The thing is that ones fresh spinach is sautéd in onions, it tremendously reduces in volume …
Follow up y post by email please
This sounds really good but can this be made like Potatoes Au Gratin since my friends don’t like Spinach? Help Or what other cheese?
Do you think I can sub coconut milk for the cream?
Hi Lauren! Because I have never tried making it with coconut milk, I can’t be 100% certain, but I have made it with just plain milk and it worked out just fine. If you make it, let me know!
Made this tonight w/ sweet potatoes and frozen defrosted spinach……..used whole milk cause I had it, and some minced garlic along w/ the feta.
Delicious!
With sweet potatoes!? YUM!!! SO glad you enjoyed it!
I’m seeing this as breakfast, lunch and dinner. LOVE!!!!
This smells delicious and I can’t wait to try it! But I think I used to much spinach and potatoes and not enough of the liquid mixture? How can I adjust it? Can I just sprinkle feta on top to get that yummy melted cheese look? Thanks!!
Hi Sarah! Since I can’t tell how much you might need, I would suggest to pour just a little bit of heavy cream over it and cook it until the top is browned, but only if it seems the dish seems too dry. And yes, sprinkle that feta on top! That’s a great idea!! 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I made it tonight for dinner with fresh spinach and it was a big hit for the whole family.
I am SO happy to hear that! Yaaaay for delicious dinners!!! 🙂
I saw your recipe & your comment to please visit your blog on Pinterest and here I am. I can’t wait to try this recipe… and some of your other ones, too. I’m also going to follow your board. Thank you!
Thank you SO MUCH, Cathy! Please stay a while!! 😀
This turned out great. This recipe is too much for a 2qt dish. Since I had already dirtied the 2qt, I thought I’d go ahead and just use it. I ended up only using 2 cans of spinach, and left out quite a bit of the potatoes. I made it again afterwards with canned potatoes, 1 can of spinach, 2 eggs, and about 1 cup heavy creamer. Oh and I tossed the potatoes with grape seed oil and some spices! I really like this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
That’s great, Candace! SO glad to hear you enjoyed it! And thanks for catching my mistake in the recipe… 2 quart? Hmmm….It’s what happens when you write your recipes at 1 a.m.
Hope you’re having a fantastic weekend!
Thx for this recipe! 🙂 I did few modifications of it, to make it fully vegan, instead of feta i used home-made vegan ricotta. Added tofu, onion and garlic (lots of garlic :D).
Sounds delicious! I find that spinach loves garlic!! 🙂
I’ve used this recipe and made a few variations of it…I even got a catering gig from it! Its famous! Perfection! I use half kale/half spinach and people love it. Also, heat the cream or milk in a saucepan and use things like whole garlic cloves and lemon zest in it…then remove them and pour over the gratin…and people won’t know what hit them!
That is awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing – so happy to know that you love it! 🙂 And I am definitely going to try it out your way… I like the sound of garlic and lemon in the cream!! YUMMO!
Mmmm thanks for the new ideas.
How many oz of spinach is each can? I am using frozen:) Looks awesome!
HI! Each can is 13.5 ounces…and I am so sorry for not including that in the recipe! Will fix that asap. Thank You!! 🙂
can this be made ahead?
Yes, absolutely. This also stays good in the fridge for a few days.
Looks amazing, can’t wait to try! You mentioned that you usually make this with ground beef… how much do you use?
Hi!!
I use about 2 pounds of ground beef, but when made with beef, you don’t use spinach or feta. Just brown the beef with diced onions, season with salt and pepper, and layer on top of the potatoes.
Curious when you say heavy cream, what kind of cream? sour cream? im such a beginner lol. By the way, looks great!
Hi!! That’s heavy whipping cream, not at all like sour cream. 🙂 You can find it in the milk aisle next to the Half & Half. And don’t worry, we were all beginners once. 🙂
This recipe sounds delicious. Spinach is my favorite veggie. I plan to try it with frozen chopped spinach. Three boxes sounds about right! Thank you.
Definitely a great meal to share with those you love and want to keep forever!
i am always avoiding spinach since it’s not one of my favorite veggies but i won’t mind it if it was served to me in your gratin 😉
How would I make this with fresh spinach? Thanks!
I meant to put a note in the recipe and I forgot; so sorry! You would need about 4 cups of sauteed fresh spinach. I am guessing about 2 bags, give or take, of fresh baby spinach.
I pinned this, it looks yummy. The Child loves spanakopita and this seems to me quite similar.
As for Newtown, I hear you. It’s unthinkable, and yet.
Words fail me.
I have it on good authority that feta and heavy cream, when combined, make just about everything better.
This is comfort, earthy potato style (one of my favourite forms). xo
Oh my, this sounds so, so good. I don’t eat potatoes but I’m thinking I might try a sweet potato version. Just pinned on my Meatless Monday board!
Thank you, Kalyn! I have tried it with sweet potatoes and it’s just as delicious. Only difference I made was that I also seasoned the sweet potatoes with salt and pepper.
School is supposed to be a safe place. I’m so sad for these families, and I’m sad for the loss of innocence for the children remaining and for the children of our country. We had a shooting 2 years ago at our school and the community has never been the same… children are fearful of things that they should not even know about. The little girl up the street has a bullet scar in her arm, she’s 9. Every parent’s nightmare indeed.
It’s like a hug that you eat.
I did share this lovely post for sure, it is too good to not share:-) I love how hearty it looks, it could totally be a main entree for me!! Beautiful, Hugs, Terra
I agree with you, after such a tragedy, words seem so inadequate. Your children are lucky to have you, this gratin looks like pure comfort!
I agree with you 100%….it’s just unfathomable. It’s time to hug your family and find comfort where ever you are able. xo
This sounds so delicious Kate! What a perfect dish to serve on Christmas, so much better than the potato gratins my mom used to make.
There are just no words. Like you said, just lots of extra hugs and kisses to our babies. I like the vegetarian spin on this dish. I’m sure I would really enjoy it.
Yeah, I think Dudette’s getting tired of me grabbing her for a tight hug, but she’ll just have to deal with it. My heart is heavy as well.
Do you always use potatoes in your moussaka? I’ve never made it that way. It looks delicious, even without the meat. 🙂
Yes, in Macedonia moussaka is always with potatoes.
Hugs to you and dudette!!
Do you make this as a main dish or a side?
Hi, Elizabeth!
This is served as a main dish. We usually have it with a side of plain yogurt or a salad.
Comfort food, indeed….