Creamed Spinach Gratin

I prepared two vegetable dishes for our Christmas Day potluck lunch. This was one of them.

Placing the creamed spinach in a casserole and topping it with sliced tomatoes gives the dish a bright, festive touch of red and green.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

• 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach (I used two packs of chopped, frozen spinach)
  
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup tub-style light cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) sliced tomato
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove large stems from spinach. Tear spinach into 1-inch pieces; place in a colander. Rinse spinach under cold water; drain. Set aside.

Place a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Add cream cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. Uncover and cook an additional minute or until cream cheese melts. Spoon spinach mixture into a 1-quart gratin dish or shallow casserole coated with cooking spray. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on top of spinach,and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information:

Calories:

72 (35% from fat)

Fat:

2.8g (sat 1.4g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.3g)

Protein:

4.2g

Carbohydrate:

8.5g

Fiber:

2.8g

Cholesterol:

7mg

Iron:

1.8mg

Sodium:

265mg

Calcium:

105mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1997