Collard Greens, Spinach and Beet Greens Cheesy Bake

As much as winter brings cravings for heavier comforting foods, it’s good to remember the importance of green leaves, even when it’s gray and cold outside.

The first type of green leaves I’ve chosen for the bake I had in mind, were the highly nutritious collard greens. These dark green leaves are quite tough and require longer cooking time than most greens, which is why I decided to use frozen ones.

In order to increase the nutritional values of the bake even further, and add more flavors and textures to it, I’ve decided to add other green leaves to the mix, by using fresh beet greens and frozen chopped spinach.

With this fairly large amount of greens, I’ve decided to go with a gluten free and low carb option, by using only eggs and cheeses as the binding agents.

For the cheeses, I’ve chosen a large amount of fresh cottage cheese, and freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese. Along with the eggs, this was enough to hold the bake nicely, without any starchy additions.

This tasty bake can be served any time of the day. A small amount is perfect for a vegetarian breakfast or brunch, while a larger portion is perfect as a main dish for lunch or light dinner. Try it and enjoy.

Makes: 20 small squares

Prep time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour

 

Ingredients:

Greens from 1 bunch beets

16 oz (454 grams) frozen chopped collard green, thawed

16 oz (454 grams) frozen cut spinach, thawed

4 L eggs

8 oz (225 grams) Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated

24 oz (680 grams) fresh small curd cottage cheese 4% fat

1 Tbs salt

½ tsp freshly grated four peppers mix

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 Tbs Dijon mustard

1 Tbs honey

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a 12”x8” (20.5 cm x 30 cm) baking pan with baking paper.
2. Chop the beet greens and stems, add 2 Tbs water, cover and steam in the microwave for 2 minutes on high. Cool to room temperature. (You should end up with about 1 cup.)
3. Measure 1/3 cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese, and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Squeeze the greens, to get rid of extra liquids, and add to the bowl, along with the mustard and honey. Mix well.
5. Transfer the mixture into the lined pan. Scatter the 1/3 cup grated cheese on top.
6. Bake for 1 hour, until the bake is set and the cheese on top is golden brown. Turn off the oven and leave the pan in the oven for 10-15 minutes, to let it set further.
7. Holding the baking paper, transfer the bake onto a cutting board. With a sharp, heavy knife, cut it into 20 squares. Serve warm.