This spinach melt brings together four ingredients that are simply amazing together. As they say, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, even though all these parts are all wonderful on their own. The spinach is tender, the mushrooms are earthy and savory, the shallots lend a mellow sweetness when roasted to golden-brown, and the Gruyère ties everything together with its delightful, nutty flavor. It’s a vegetable dish with a little comfort-food personality – simple enough for a weeknight, but equally welcome at a dinner party. And much of the work can be done ahead of time, which is great news for busy cooks. The mushrooms and shallots can be prepared and roasted a day or even two ahead. 

    The roasted mushrooms and shallots are a big part of what makes the dish so delicious. Rather than adding them directly to the spinach, roasting them separately gives them a chance to develop browned edges and a deeper flavor. Give them a little breathing room on the baking sheet so they can roast rather than sit crowded together in their own juices, making them soggy and not browned. You can also brown the shallots on the same tray, but I like to keep them separated, since one may cook faster than the other. You want both to be nicely browned but not burned. 

    Then there’s the spinach, which performs its usual disappearing act in the skillet. What begins as a rather voluminous mound of green leaves quickly shrinks once you start cooking it. You will want to use all of it, trust me. The Gruyère is what makes this a “spinach melt.” Its savory, nutty flavor complements the mushrooms and shallots without burying the spinach, and melted over the top, it gives every bite a little taste of France!

    Serve this spinach melt alongside roasted chicken, grilled fish, or your favorite steak. For a lighter meal, I like to spoon it onto thick slices of toasted sourdough and let the bread catch all the good bits. It is also delicious as a flavorful topping for a baked potato.

 

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 lb. fresh spinach leaves
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper 

DIRECTIONS

    Preheat oven to 425 F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Clean mushrooms and slice into 1/4-inch slices. Clean shallots and thinly slice. Toss each with olive oil and season with lemon pepper. Spread out on prepared baking sheet, keeping mushrooms and shallots separated. They may cook for different lengths of time, so it’s nice to be able to separate them.

    Roast for about 20 minutes, or until both mushrooms and onions are browned and very aromatic and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside. This step can be done several hours or even a couple of days ahead of time.

    Heat a large sauté pan with a little bit of olive oil in the bottom. Slowly add spinach until you’ve got about 3/4 of it wilting in the pan. Toss in mushrooms and shallots and stir. Continue adding the rest of the spinach, a little bit at a time, until you’ve used up all the spinach. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere over the top and heat until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.