Elegant Feta Spinach Mold

At holiday time, the food corner of the internet is awash in sweets and liquor. Being a contrarian, I couldn’t resist “counter programming” and heading to my vegetable bin. But not to worry, this feta spinach mold is elegant and tasty enough for your New Year’s Eve bash or New Year’s day buffet. 

I spent way too long trying to figure out what to call this feta spinach dish. The inspiration was a torta di spinaci from Giuliano Hazan’s Every Night Italian.  A version of that Italian name or the English translation, spinach loaf, might have worked. But the Italian one didn’t exactly roll off my tongue and the term “loaf” reminds me of meatloaf or one of those horrid nut/vegetable concoctions. I decided to go with feta spinach mold, a name that would make my Mad Men-era parents smile. 

While this may called be a mold, there are no jello or frou-frou shapes involved. Guiliano is the only son of Marcella Hazan, one of my cooking heros. Like his mother, Guiliano is all about classic, simple cuisine. I’ve retained that simplicity and the basic loaf shape, while heading in a slightly different (Greek-style) taste direction. 

Whether it reminds you of an Italian torta, spanakopita without the phyllo, or crustless quiche with more spinach than egg, this is an ideal make-ahead buffet dish. It can be served warm or room temperature and refrigerates well, either in the pan, or sliced and covered.

The feta and spinach are key to this dish. Avoid overly salty, pre-crumbled cheese. My favorite is sheep’s milk that comes in a box with 2 large blocks (14 ounces total) immersed in liquid. Whichever type you use, taste it and make sure you like it on its own. This recipe calls for 2 pounds of baby spinach. When you look at the bulk of the fresh spinach, you may be tempted to buy frozen. I have one word for you – don’t! You can’t get the same taste or texture with frozen. 

The mold shape comes from baking it in a buttered loaf pan, dusted with breadcrumbs. 

In just a few minutes, the pile of pile of spinach goes from this

to this

Cut and sauté some leeks

Add in the eggs, milk, and flour, plus the feta and chopped dill, sprinkle some more breadcrumbs on top and bake.

Flipping this baby over is not nearly as momentous as the rolling of the chocolate roulade.

Then all you have to do is slice

and garnish.

Print Recipe

Feta Spinach Mold Yum

A small slice of this tasty feta and spinach mold makes a great side dish at a holiday buffet. A larger slice is a vegetarian main course. Either way, it's festive and healthy.

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs finely crushed plain type (not panko)
• 2 pounds fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup fresh leeks chopped white and light green parts (about 1-2 small leeks)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped or crumbled feta cheese (about 2.5 ounces)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped. Can substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt kosher or fine sea
• Freshly ground pepper

Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 60 minutes Servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup breadcrumbs finely crushed plain type (not panko) 2 pounds fresh baby spinach 1 cup fresh leeks chopped white and light green parts (about 1-2 small leeks) 4 large eggs 1/2 cup finely chopped or crumbled feta cheese (about 2.5 ounces) 1 cup whole milk 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped. Can substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt kosher or fine sea Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to butter a loaf pan. Add about half of the breadcrumbs to the pan, rolling them around to coat the bottom and sides. Set the pan aside.
3. Sprinkle the spinach with about 1/3 cup water and put it in a covered pot. Cook at medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, until completely wilted.
4. Drain the spinach in a colander and press all the water out of it. You should have about 4-5 baseball-size rounds of spinach. Set the spinach aside to cool to room temperature as you prepare the other parts of the recipe.
5. Sauté the chopped leeks in the remaining tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes, until they have become tender. Set them aside to cool as well.
6. Mix the eggs, feta cheese, milk, flour, dill, lemon juice, salt and ground pepper in a large bowl.
7. Add the fully drained spinach and the leeks to that egg/cheese mixture. Combine all the ingredients well, so that the spinach is well dispersed throughout the liquid.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
9. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack until you can handle the pan without oven mitts.
10. Gently slide a butter knife around the sides to loosen it, then put a cutting board on top and flip the cutting board and pan over. Remove the pan so the mold remains on the cutting board. Slice it into serving-size pieces and remove them to a platter.
11. Garnish as desired and serve, or refrigerate.

Recipe Notes

Leeks must be carefully washed, as dirt tends to get between their layers. I often chop the pieces first, then wash them in a colander, and dry them well before sautéing.
The amount of salt to be added depends on how salty the feta is. While you shouldn't try the raw egg mixture (unless you use pasteurized eggs), you can taste the feta separately. Personally, I prefer to undersalt and let each guest add salt if they prefer more.
If you make the mold in advance and refrigerate it unsliced or as slices on a platter, leave enough time for the slices to come to room temperature (or close to it) before serving.

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Happy New Year!