Hamburger Spinach Casserole

If you’re trying to get spinach into people who claim they hate spinach, this is the casserole that does it. Layers of seasoned ground beef and egg noodles in tomato sauce sandwich a creamy spinach filling, with another layer of cream cheese mixture and melted cheddar on top.

The layering is more strategic than it looks. Half the cream cheese mixture goes UNDER the spinach, half goes on TOP after baking. The under-layer melts into the noodles during baking, while the top layer stays creamy and cool, melting into the warm casserole when it’s plated.

A touch of sugar (just two teaspoons) in the meat sauce balances the acidity of the canned tomatoes and pulls the whole thing together. This is an old Italian-American trick that home cooks have been using for generations.

Use frozen chopped spinach, not fresh, for this dish. The amount you’d need from fresh is enormous, and frozen has already been blanched and chopped to the right consistency for layering.

Pro Tips

• Squeeze the cooked spinach absolutely dry before layering. Wet spinach makes a watery casserole.
• Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how hard you whip it.
• Cook the noodles a minute SHORTER than the package says. They’ll continue to soften in the oven.
• Let the finished casserole rest 10 minutes before cutting for clean, photogenic squares.

Variations

• Swap ground beef for ground turkey or Italian sausage for different flavor profiles.
• Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano to the meat sauce for more depth.
• Stir 1 cup of cooked, drained mushrooms into the meat layer for added umami and texture.