Spinach Pie in a Potato Crust

Since St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, I thought I’d dedicate this week’s posts to all things that are green and/or Irish. Today’s post is both. Well, it’s not exactly Irish per se, but it’s made with potatoes which a lot of people associate with Ireland thanks to the great Irish Potato Famine of the mid 1800’s.

While my potatoes may not be from Ireland (they’re actually from Idaho), they still made the most awesome crust. It was so yummy in fact, I may consider replacing my flaky, flour-based quiche crusts for this potato version instead. I mean, who doesn’t love sliced potatoes sauteed in olive oil and baked into a crispy crust? Me! Me! And if you’re like me and have never had a potato crust before, here’s your chance!

But it’s not just the potatoes that will remind ya of Ireland on Sunday. Believe it or not this pie is green too! And not from any artificial food coloring. No, sir! This green hue is all natural thanks to the bountiful amounts of spinach and artichokes that make up most of the pie’s savory filling. And since there isn’t one once of meat anywhere in this pie, it’s the perfect St. Paddy’s Day feast if you’re a vegetarian who’s not really excited about the standard corned beef and cabbage dinner.

While my entire family is made up of some serious meat eaters, every single mouth, even the little ones, couldn’t get enough of this tasty treat. A few of them even went back for seconds. So save the corned beef for lunch this St. Patrick’s Day and whip up this tasty pie instead.

Spinach Pie in a Potato Crust  (adapted from a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:

• 3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 8 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 6 ounces herb goat cheese
• 1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. Place the pan on a foil-lined baking sheet and set aside.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/8-inch rounds.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cooking in batches, add the potatoes to the oil and cook, turning once, for about five minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a towel-lined plate and repeat with the rest of the potato rounds until they’re all cooked.
4. While the potatoes cool, heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the same skillet. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until tender, 6-8 minutes.
5. Add the spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts, about three minutes.
6. In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, goat cheese and lemon zest. Stir in the spinach mixture and set aside.
7. Cover the bottom of the spring-form pan with the potato rounds, overlapping as necessary and making sure there are no empty spaces. Arrange the rest of the rounds around the sides of the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the potato crust and bake for 1 hour.
8. Once done cooking, let the pie cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pie. Remove the sides of the spring-form pan. Slice the pie into wedges and serve.