Pepperoni Pizza Spinach Squares

These Pepperoni Pizza Spinach Squares are the perfect appetizer or vegetable side dish.

These pepperoni pizza spinach squares are so rich and cheesy. As a friend described them, they are "the perfect spinach delivery vehicle."

These spinach squares are really easy to make. They are wonderful freshly baked and sliced, and they also make amazing leftovers. In fact, you can make them in advance and reheat them in the oven.

This recipe calls for frozen spinach. A key to success with this recipe is to make sure that you have squeezed as much water out of the thawed spinach as possible. To do that, I drain the thawed spinach in a colander, and then squeeze handfuls with my hands to get out any excess water. You'd be surprised how much extra water there is. I recommend grating your own mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. It's really worth the extra effort. Also, be sure to follow the instructions for precooking the pepperoni to remove excess oiliness.

These spinach squares will fly off the plate, so be sure to save a stash for yourself. I took them to work and they disappeared so fast!

Be sure to bake these pepperoni pizza spinach squares in the upper middle of your oven so that the Parmesan cheese on top gets nice and toasty brown.

Pepperoni Pizza Spinach Squares Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) low sodium chicken broth
• 3 large eggs
• 20 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions

1. Place an oven rack to an upper middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 inch pan with spray oil.
2. Line a microwaveable plate with two layers of paper towels. Arrange the pepperoni on the paper towels, and cover with two more layers of paper towels. Microwave for one minute. Chop the pepperoni into small pieces and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add the broth and eggs, and whisk until the ingredients are smooth. Add the spinach, mozzarella, onion, pepperoni, and garlic and stir until combined.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the edges are bubbly. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Cut into 32 squares and serve warm.
5. Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat covered in foil in a 375 degree oven.

Yield: 32 squares

Recipe adapted from the October/November 2012 issue of Cook's Country magazine.