Creamed Spinach Grilled Cheese

the Story

This grilled cheese is pure comfort in a sandwich, inspired by Valerie Bertinelli’s cookbook Indulge—a perfect meal for those cozy, rainy days when all you want is to make coffee, watch Netflix, and just chill. The creamy, garlicky spinach filling melts into the gooey cheese, tucked between perfectly golden, buttery slices of bread that are crisped to perfection. Each bite is warm, rich, and indulgent, combining the earthy depth of spinach with the familiar, nostalgic satisfaction of a classic grilled cheese. It’s a simple yet decadent dish that feels like a warm hug, turning an ordinary day into something a little more special.

the Ingredients

• 1 Bag of Baby Spinach (about 6 Ounces)

• 1/2 Cup of Whole Milk Ricotta

• 1 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella (Valerie's Recipe calls for grated)

• 1/3 Cup of Grated Parmigiano Reggiano ( Valerie's Recipe calls for 1/2 Cup)

• 8 Slices of Cracked Wheat Sourdough (Or your favorite bread that's dense and sturdy)

• Onion Salt, to taste

• Black Pepper, to taste

• Olive Oil (For Sauteing the Spinach)

• Mayonnaise (For Browning the Bread, although butter is fine, too)

the Instructions

• In a large skillet, drizzle the Olive Oil and set the temperature to medium heat. Add the Baby Spinach and season with Onion Salt and Black Pepper. Sauté the Spinach until fully wilted. Then, drain any excess oil and place the cooked spinach on a cutting board to chop into finer pieces. You're looking for the consistency of creamed spinach.

• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the Spinach, Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Set aside.

• Lay the pieces of Bread on a clean work surface, and pair the bread in sets of two, where each pair will form one sandwich.

• Spread the Mayonnaise on the sides of bread you plan to grill. I prefer Mayonnaise over Butter when it comes to Toasting the Bread, but either ingredient will work well. Once you've spread the Mayonnaise, flip each piece of Bread over and apply a thin layer of the Spinach and Cheese Mixture onto what I'd like to call, the "Fill Side" of the Bread, or filling side.

  • You can either apply the Spinach and Cheese Mixture to all the fill-side pieces, or if you prefer a less gooey sandwich, apply the spread of half the fill-side pieces.

• Form the Sandwiches, where the Mayonnaise Side is facing both the bottom and top, and the Spinach and Cheese Filling is centered.

• Grill Each Side until the Bread is Toasted and Cheese is Melted.