You might also see this recipe called Swiss Pie Florentine. In culinary terms “Florentine” refers to dishes with a main ingredient (like chicken, as we’ve used here) on a bed of spinach.
Spinach Pie Florentine
2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup of butter
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
a dash of nutmeg
a dash of pepper
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 eggs, hard-cooked
1 (5-ounce) can of boned chicken or 1/3 cup of chopped cooked chicken or 1 (6 1/2-ounce) can of tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese
(4 ounces)
parsley (for garnish)
Drain the spinach by pressing it between your hands or against the bottom of a sieve with the back of a large spoon. Then allow it to stand on several thicknesses of paper toweling for 30 minutes before combining it with the beaten eggs, and smoothing the mixture against the bottom and sides of a greased 9″ pie plate. With that done, melt the butter in a small saucepan; add flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper; and stir it until it’s smooth. Now, gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Cook the pie-to-be over medium heat, stirring slowly, until it comes to a boil and thickens.
At that point, set the saucepan aside. Cut one hard-cooked egg into wedges and reserve three of these for garnish, if you want a garnish. Go on to chop the remaining wedges, and the other two eggs, and stir them into the sauce. Pour the mixture into the spinach crust, arrange the chicken or tuna evenly over the sauce, and sprinkle the entire pie with cheese. You’ll also want to fold a thin strip of foil around the edges of the crust to prevent overbrowning. Bake the pie in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, removing the foil during the last 10 minutes, and serve it garnished with the egg wedges and a few sprigs of parsley. This recipe should provide a hearty main dish for at least four diners.
For more egg recipes seeAll About Eggs: Become an Eggs-Pert.
