Puff Pastry-Topped Spinach and Potato Bake

Frozen spinach can shorten prep work and help a hearty dish get to the table sooner, which is handy during busy holiday cooking. Frozen vegetables are harvested and preserved at their freshest, so the spinach still offers good quality.

Info

• Cook time: 50 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Creamed Spinach

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Three 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon chardonnay vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Potatoes

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino-Romano, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Make the creamed spinach first: melt the butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Pour in the cream, add the nutmeg and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let the cream simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Stir in the squeezed spinach, mustard and vinegar. Transfer to a bowl, season to taste and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. For the potatoes: peel them and cut into quarters. Put them in a medium pot and add water until they are just covered. Stir in a few generous pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are fully tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (Have all the remaining ingredients measured and ready.)
4. Drain the potatoes. For a creamier texture, press them through a potato ricer into a large bowl. While the potatoes are warm, add the milk, crème fraîche, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Fold gently to combine. If you did not use a ricer, you can do this in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Be careful not to overmix, since the potatoes can turn gummy.
5. Fold the creamed spinach into the potatoes. Spoon the mixture into an 8- or 9-inch square casserole dish.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry until the folds are smoothed out. Using the casserole dish as a guide, cut the pastry so it fits flush against the dish's edge. Set the excess aside.
7. Lay the pastry directly over the spinach and potato mixture. With a sharp paring knife, score a diagonal crosshatch pattern about 1 1/2 inches apart in the pastry. Do not cut all the way through.
8. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the egg wash over the pastry and sprinkle with the Pecorino-Romano. Bake until the pastry is golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Garnish with more Pecorino-Romano.