NEW RECIPE: Greek Greens and Potato Bake

This post is a little more surreal for me, because this is the last post I will ever do as a student at UC Davis. I will be moving to Southern California for graduate school in the fall. So, I will technically still be a broke college student, so the name of the blog can still hold true for a while longer! 

I decided to make my last dish at UC Davis something shareable. My co-workers have been begging me to cook for them for ages, so I whipped this up for my last shift at work for everyone to try. It's a spin of two different cuisines: one signaling to my heritage (Greek) and another to my inspirations (British). 

This potato bake is definitely based off of a shepherd's pie, but is much more vegetarian and packs amazing Greek flavors inside of it! I went with the filling of a traditional Greek spanakopita (spinach filled phyllo triangles) for this, to get a mix of creaminess, tangy feta, rich greens, and awesome potato all in one! 

Recipe serves 16-24 people.

Ingredients: 

3 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and washed
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 pound spinach
1 pound Dino Kale (important because it's not nearly as bitter as other kale varieties)
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tablespoon dill
1/2 tablespoon oregano
Salt and pepper to season
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil

Cooking/Assembling:

1) Add the potatoes to cold salted water. Bring up to a boil, then cook for 15 minutes.

2) Drain and cool the potatoes, then mash together with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

3) Mix in the eggs. When fully incorporated, add in the flour to the potatoes. Set aside.

4) Saute the spinach and kale with the shallots, garlic, herbs, and the remaining olive oil. Season to taste, and crumble in the feta cheese. Squeeze in the lemon juice, then let cool.

5) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In a large baking dish, add half of your potato mixture to the bottom layer. Add in the spinach and kale mixture, then top with the remaining potatoes.

6) Bake for an hour, then cool, cut into pieces, and serve!

This bake is really simple to do, and takes in a lot of awesome flavor! The spinach mixture is packed with amazing flavor, while the flour and egg gives the potato an amazingly creamy texture without milk, butter, or cream being added. It's a great appetizer, vegetarian entree, or shareable snack with friends and coworkers alike! 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe, and keep reading on as I continue my cooking adventures in Orange County! As always, let me know what you think and what I should change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)