Bob O’Leary

My sister Mo makes some great spinach balls for family parties. These little balls burst with flavor in your mouth. They freeze very well, so make some ahead of time and be ready for company.
I recently got the recipe from her and my other sister Peg:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 2 cups crushed crumbs made from herb seasoned stuffing mix
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Preparation:

Drain spinach well by pressing in colander and using paper towels to remove excess moisture. Crush enough herb stuffing cubes to make 2 cups of crumbs. Mix with spinach and remaining ingredients in large bowl. Roll into 1″ balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Makes about 50 appetizers.

To freeze ahead, make appetizers and freeze unbaked. Bake, frozen, in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 14-18 minutes until hot and crisp.

The great thing is you can also easily add other ingredients without changing other amounts, temp or cook time.  I have made them with bacon bits and sausage before.  Or you can spice them up with a little Cajun seasoning.  Its good to keep your guests in mind – nix the meat if there are vegetarians and ditto for the spices if you have an older crowd.

If you don’t believe they’re good, check out these satisfied customers: