This spinach and rice casserole is pure comfort food. My take on the traditional stovetop spanakorizo, this is a fun baked version that my kids love. This makes a great vegetarian main dish along with your favorite salad on the side. This is a quintessentially simple dish so the key here is to not be shy on flavor -- add all the fresh dill and serve with extra lemon so people can squeeze more lemon juice on each serving.

What is spanakorizo?

A simple vegan main dish of spinach (spanaki) and rice (rizi), classic spanakorizo is traditionally made on the stovetop with loads of spinach and a touch of rice. Dill is the herb of choice for spanakorizo, which also gains flavor from a squeeze of fresh lemon juice when serving. 

What rice should I use for spanakorizo?

A medium-grain rice such as Calrose rice will yield the preferred result. In a pinch, you could try a long-grain rice here, even basmati. I would not suggest using short-grain rice. 

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
5 green onions, chopped
1 lb bag frozen whole leaf spinach
1 1/2 cups medium-grain rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups grated cheese, like kefalograviera
salt and pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Method

In a large ovenproof pan, sauté green onions in olive oil over medium high heat until softened. Add frozen spinach straight from the bag and cook until no longer frozen, about 5 minutes. Add rice and tomato paste and stir to coat in oil, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in water and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, then stir in 1 cup of the cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste the cooking liquid at this point; it should taste just a little saltier than you want the finished dish to be. Stir in the dill, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese over top.

Transfer to a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven without disturbing the rice so the cheese forms a nice crust on top. Bake for 20 minutes, till rice is just tender. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

I used Kefalograviera, a sheep’s milk cheese from Greece. Other cheeses that would work include kasseri, or for a non-Greek cheese I would try Gruyere, Manchego, or Ossau-Iraty.