Cheesy Spinach Souffle
Spinach Souffle was a childhood favorite. My mom’s recipe with Velveeta is now made with sharp cheddar. It’s a tasty holiday tradition at our house!
This Spinach Casserole is always on our holiday menu! Add leftover Easter ham for a yummy entree or serve as a side dish or a vegetarian meal.
Why You Must Make
- This super easy spinach souffle is a treasured recipe from my childhood. I almost hate to admit that my mom’s version used a processed cheese spread, AKA Velveeta, and I adored it! Fast forward a few years and I found a similar recipe in our local Junior League cookbook, Winners, but with an upgrade of cheeses to a lovely sharp cheddar.
- Surprisingly, my vegetable-avoiding daughter loves this spinach souffle. Spinach is the only veggie that Katie will eat, and it was this casserole that sold her. That tells you something right there!
- Even if you don’t like cottage cheese, you won’t even see or taste it in this recipe. It’s delicious!
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Butter, Flour, Salt
- Eggs – You will need six
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese -An 8-ounce block, cubed
- Cottage Cheese – Small curd or Old-Fashioned cottage cheese
- Frozen, Chopped Spinach – 2 boxes; defrost and squeeze dry.
- Optional Ingredient, Ham – After Easter, add 2 cups chopped, leftover ham, and reduce the added salt.
How to Make
Not officially a “souffle” as the eggs are added whole instead of the whites whipped, then folded in. But that’s the title of my mom’s dish from back in the ’60s or ’70s, so there you go!
- This is such a simple recipe, just defrost two boxes of frozen chopped spinach overnight in the fridge. Set them on the counter for an hour or so if the spinach is still icy the next morning.
- Next, squeeze the spinach very dry as any excess water will make this spinach casserole watery. I like using a potato ricer, but the hubby (my dishwasher) cringes when he sees little all the little bits of spinach he has to clean!
- You can also use your hands and squeeze out the liquid manually. This is my usual method.
- After that, you simply mix the spinach with eggs, cottage cheese (look for “old-fashioned” which has a smaller curd and is creamier), a couple of tablespoons of flour, chunks of cheddar, some butter, and a wee bit of salt.
- Pour into a greased casserole and bake. When I had only one oven, I slid it in with the turkey at Thanksgiving. If you’re doing this and the oven is not set at 350 degrees, just adjust the baking time.
- My oldest loves when I make this after Easter and add chunks of ham. Just reduce the salt a bit as the ham will add more saltiness to this dish. It then can be an entree instead of a side dish. It would also make a terrific brunch casserole!
Variations on Spinach Souffle
- Sprinkle some cheese on top during the last few minutes of baking. A little gooey topping is always a bonus!
- I like using sharp cheddar cheese, but mozzarella or Monterey jack would also be good choices.
- Want some additional flavor? Feel free to add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for some heat. Nutmeg is a classic spice added to spinach dishes, so a few grates of fresh nutmeg or a pinch or two of ground nutmeg would taste terrific. A little goes a long way, though, so don’t overdo it!
- Watching your carbs? Swap out the flour for almond flour for a low-carb side or even entree.
- As mentioned above, you can add 2 cups of chopped ham (great for Easter leftovers) and mix to combine. Since the ham is salty, don’t add any salt to the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I often make it in the morning I’m going to serve it for dinner. Store the casserole in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Pull it out of the refrigerator while you preheat the oven, but it will still need extra time to bake as it will be colder than if freshly made.
Like most dishes, leftovers can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is as long as it has not been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Since Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle is a frozen product, it’s safe to say that leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. But I have not tested this myself.
According to my Food Lover’s Companion, a souffle (prounounced soo-FLAY) “is a light, airy mixture that usually begins with a thick egg yolk based sauce or puree that is lightened my stiffly beaten egg whites.” The conclusion is that this dish may not officially be a souffle.
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Spinach Souffle Recipe
An updated favorite from my childhood, this easy spinach souffle is perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed (I use Kraft sharp cheddar)
- 24 ounces cream style, small curd cottage cheese (or "old fashioned" cottage cheese)
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease 9 x 13 or a comparable casserole dish.
- Combine all ingredients and pour into the prepared dish.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the middle is set.
Notes
You may also add 2 cups of chopped ham. Just reduce the salt if you do.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 545Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 280mgSodium: 653mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 18g
87 Comments on “Cheesy Spinach Souffle”
Can I add chopped artichoke hearts? Or would I need to adjust other ingredients?
Hi, Jenn, I think it would be fine to add chopped artichoke hearts to the mixture, then bake as directed. That sounds like a delicious addition!
I’m trying out your spinach soufflé recipe. I did my own calorie count, which came out as 2385 calories for the whole casserole (6 lge eggs 420, 8 oz sharp cheddar 880, 2T flour 55, 20 oz frozen spinach 160, 24 oz 4% cottage cheese 666, and 2T butter 204), or 298 calories for a serving of 1/8th of the casserole. Your nutrition information gives 545 calories per serving, which amounts to 4400 for the whole casserole. Could you have meant that 545 is the number of calories in 1/4th the casserole? That would be more in line with my calculations based on the ingredients.
Hi, Kitty, the recipe card I use at the bottom calculates the calories based on the ingredients and number of servings. I’ll look it over and see if there’s anything amiss.
Can I double this in a large pan? Maybe I should do 2 pans.
Hi, Shawn, I’d do two pans since I’m guessing you’re making this for Thanksgiving and you want to make sure they get cooked properly. I think it would work in a larger pan, but you’d have to do a lot of checking which you might not want to deal with on a holiday. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
Our family enjoyed the spinach souffle last night. Yummy! Didn’t have cheddar, put in monterey jack cheese, and also sauteed onions, and chopped ham. Oh, that was a great dish that went over well with son, and husband that doesn’t prefer spinach. A great do it again, dish..
So glad it was a hit!!! Thanks for reporting back, Bev.
I’m making this for the second time this week alone. It is my new favorite way to eat spinach. The only thing I don’t like about this recipe is sharing it!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Chris! It wouldn’t be a holiday at our house without this on the menu 🙂
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice this week now- it’s so easy and delicious. Husband likes it too and he’s not much of a spinach fan unless it’s creamed and served next to a ribeye. I’ll be making this often and mixing up the veggies. Thank you!
I’m so glad, Tiffany! My picky daughter isn’t much of a veggie eater, but she’ll eat this 🙂
I substituted ricotta cheese for cottage cheese. HEAVENLY!
YUM!! Thanks for letting me know, Bambi, and so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I’ve always used sour cream in my recipe, but am curious about how different it would taste with the cottage chese. Has anyone done both and had a preference?
Hi, Kellie! You’re the first I’ve heard who has made it with sour cream. Now I’m curious about the sour cream version.
This sounds easy and straightforward. Can’t wait to make it!
We have enjoyed this as a side but tonight we added cut up rotisserie chicken meat. Made it a easy meal. Whole family loved it.
Great idea, Denise! It’s my daughter’s favorite recipe and I’d love to serve it as an entree, too!
So yummy! I’m happy I have found such a nutritious and delicious vegetarian main dish. Does anyone know if it freezes well?
Hi, Jan, I’m so glad you loved this as much as we do. I’ve never frozen it, but knowing that there is a frozen Stouffer’s spinach souffle, I’m thinking it could work. It might get a little watery when defrosted, so you could add an extra tablespoon of flour to compensate when you make it. Hope that helps.
Can I sub sausage crumbles instead of ham?
Hi, Susan,
Sure, adding sausage should be delicious, too. I hope you enjoy!
Very nice. I can’t imagine using velveeta in this. Or anything. I actually didn’t know people ate it until I met my husband. My mother and I always used it as bait for trout! To this day I can’t touch the stuff…
Oh my goodness you brought back memories!!! My dad always kept Velveeta in the downstairs fridge for BAIT, too! I thought only he did that…LOL! Thanks for the memory.
I haven’t had this in years and I don’t know why, it is terrific. It will appear at our table soon.
Your mother made the best recipes! Thank you for sharing so many of her delicious ways of expressing her love, Liz! Happy Easter!!
xo
Roz
Perfect for Easter and really would be a great side dish with anything! Sounds so good Liz! Happy Easter!
Eggs and spinach – how can one go wrong? 🙂 What a delicious looking souffle. Love the picture where it has been scooped into a bowl showing its lovely texture.
Lizzy this spinachs souffle looks delicious !!
Im printing this recipe for Esperanza she love spinachs !! send you hugs and Happy Easter dear Lizzy!
I’d be eating this right now… at 5:30 in the morning! Gonna make it Liz, do you think half would be good in a pie plate? Happy Easter Week:@)
Yeah, that should work! If it looks like a bit too much, I’d just put extra in ramekins. Happy Easter to you, too, if I don’t get to your blog again this week.
Is this still good without the cottage cheese? I have all the ingredients except this, and hope I can use what I have.????
Hi, Kristi, I think it needs cottage cheese or even some sour cream, ricotta or cream cheese to give the mixture some more body. I don’t think I’d make it without some dairy addition. Hope you enjoy….and make sure to try it with cottage cheese when you get the chance 🙂
Wow this looks so cheesy and incredibly delicious plus I love its springy look!
Thinking about making this as a Thanksgiving side dish. I’m not a fan of cottage cheese, so I’m thinking about using cream cheese instead?
Hi, Ondrea,
I don’t really enjoy cottage cheese straight up either, but this dish tastes nothing like cottage cheese. It just gives the casserole some substance. I’m not sure you’d be happy with cream cheese as the consistency will be way off. If you want to try it, I’d cut it into very small pieces. I’d still recommend trying it with cottage cheese 🙂
This dish is so delicious — everyone had 2nds — and (psssst) it’s so easy ! And if you want, sprinkle some Paremsan on top before introducing it to the oven — loverly !
Oh, I love the idea of sprinkling with some Parmesan! Thanks for your nice review!
I love this looks like sunday brunch this week
This recipe is also a favorite of mine from my childhood. I have also changed to cheddar cheese instead of Velveeta. My original recipe called for a whole stick of butter which I have now cut in half. The other addition is that I sprinkle garlic powder and pepper on top before popping into the oven. It smells so good while baking.
Me, too!! My mom’s version used Velveeta and probably loads of butter, too. Thanks for your tips, Deb!!
Loved this recipe! It was really easy and really yummy. I tried it for first time for a party, really surprised myself on how good it turned out!
Will be making this again soon!
Such a delicious meal! I make this all the time!
This sounds so amazing! I must try it soon.
What can I substitute for the flour to make it gluten free?
Hi, Jeanette, A gluten free flour like Cup4Cup would work well. Hope you enjoy!
Perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner! Love how easy the prep and so pretty when it’s all baked.
This sounds so delicious! As a side dish, or even a breakfast.
I made this for my friend who is recovering from surgery and I can’t wait to make it again for ME! It’s such a delicious recipe!
Looks like a new favorite to me!
I had the processed cheese version growing up too! I can’t wait to try this upgraded version!!
My 28 yr old sons fav since a tot, he would eat the whole stouffers spinach soufflé by himself, at the time he need more iron in his diet. He loves any greens now, I had collard greens from a steam table from our local grocery store back in the day and he asked what are those, since I told him that they were MINE you can’t have any. He was sneaky and ate them all up while I was making us something to drink. He has been nuts about any green veggies since. He will fight you for the last Brussel sprouts too! LOL I created a green monster.
Love this~!!! So easy especially for a holiday. I had low fat cottage cheese and added a little sour cream to compensate. Worked pretty well. This is a keeper. Thanks Liz~
This looks great and I’m sure that it is, but a soufflé rises high. This is a quiche.
Hi, Lana,
This is a retro recipe that my mom started making in the 1960’s before quiche was a household word. It was called a soufflé back then so I kept the name. But you’re right, technically it’s more of a quiche. Hope you give it a try!
What can I replace cottage cheese with?
Hi, Christine, I’ve only made it with cottage cheese. I suppose you could try ricotta, but I’d break it into little pieces before mixing it in. If you try it, let me know how it works. P.S. You might need a bit more salt as ricotta is a bit blander than cottage cheese.
Can you use fresh spinach? If so, how much?
I’m sure you could, Maggie, though you’d need a lot. Just blanch and chop, then squeeze dry some fresh spinach to equal about 3 cups. Here’s what I found with a quick search:
4 cups leaves, 6 ounces
1 lb fresh = 1 cup cooked
10 oz bag = 6 cups of leaves, 1 1/4 cups cooked, 2/3 cup cooked & squeezed dry
10oz frozen = 1 1/2cups cooked
I was wondering the same thing. I just think fresh spinach has a much better flavor. Thanks.
Yes, Sandy, you can use fresh spinach. It would take about 1 1/2 pounds for each box (so 3 pounds of fresh spinach total). Chop, steam, then squeeze out all the excess liquid before using. Let me know if you try it!
Has anyone tried cooking it in muffin tins and freezing for nice little reheat side dishes?
I have not, but it should work!! Great idea.
Liz, thank you for this recipe~! I’m just about to print it. Special thoughts to you and Izzy.
It’s a must for our holiday table, diana! Enjoy!!!
Made this for Thxgiving 2014. Family went NUTS! SO FABULOUS. Thanks!
I am SO glad you loved it, Patty! We had it on our Thanksgiving table, too. I appreciate the feedback! Thank you.
Absolutely love spinach and this looks like a winner!!
Another winner from the Skinny Chick!
We love this tradition for Thanksgiving and will share it today on our Facebook page. We’re going to use 2 bags of our Curly Spinach and just wilt them quickly before use. Do you approve? 🙂
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at Cut ‘N Clean Greens
Barb, you were able to post!!! Hooray! So glad it’s a family tradition for you, too~
Liz–my mother also made this recipe while I was growing up, and then she changed the cheese to cheddar long before Winners…a family must!
Thank you, ASP!!!
I’m so glad, Carolyn! Hope you get a chance to try it~
Thanks, Becky and Regina!!!!
Thanks, Lizzie! I remember wanting all my food plain and separated as a child–for some reason, this dish was an exception. Happy Thanksgiving, my foodie friend!
Spinach Souffle is one of my very all-time favorite since childhood too, Lizzy.
I used to buy Stouffer’s years ago, which I thought was pretty good, but it takes just a little effort to make your own. Your souffle looks so delicious, and pretty.
Liz, this sounds so good and my kind of food.
LOL, Kimberly…yes, I think it’s a sign!! And I love your sense of humor 🙂
Liz, this looks great. We’re having Spinach Madeline for our holiday meal, but I will give your recipe a try soon. I like the addition of the cottage cheese.
Leef, you crack me up!
Steve, thanks!!! Hope you get a chance to try it~
This is my kind of recipe. I love things like this. Thanks for sharing. (What?? No jello making blog today??)
This looks amazing.
Wendy, I’m kind of shocked my husband will eat this…and I could eat a whole pan, too! You’ll have to make it for a pot luck/pitch in 🙂
Great!!! Thanks, Judy~
This sounds wonderful. I am going to try it soon. I think my children would love it, too. Thanks.
I would gladly eat the entire pan of this, but can’t get my husband to take even a bit of spinach. Perhaps it was a bad childhood experience or something…he won’t eat my spinach dip either :sigh:!