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Aunt Bee's Cheesy Spinach Squares

Name: Aunt Bee's Cheesy Spinach Squares
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup milk; 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 4 tablespoons butter, melted; 1 (9 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry

Published: Nov 17, 2018 by Blair Lonergan

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Aunt Bee's Cheesy Spinach Squares are a delicious make ahead appetizer to serve at your upcoming holiday party! They are the perfect bite-size finger food, but they work equally well as a weeknight side dish. Cheesy, easy and just 10 minutes of prep -- how can you go wrong?

When Aunt Bee originally sent me the handwritten index card with this recipe on it, the title was called "Spinach Brownies." I immediately envisioned some weird concoction of chocolate and leafy greens, but boy was I wrong! This is a recipe that dates back to the days when it was not en vogue to hide your veggies in dessert treats, or to lighten up a dish with "secret" ingredients like chickpeas or kale. Instead, I suppose they were called "brownies" because you can bake them in a square pan and slice them just like you would a more traditional brownie. But the similarities stop there (fortunately!).

Instead of some odd chocolate-spinach blend, these are actually just a very simple savory recipe for spinach and cheese squares that can be prepped in a matter of minutes, baked, and even frozen until you're ready to enjoy them.

They are great make ahead hors d'oeuvres because they can be sliced into very small bite-size squares, they don't make a mess, and they taste great either warm or at room temp. And did I mention that you can make them in advance?!

How to Make Spinach Squares:

This is SO simple, y'all! It's really just a matter of stirring together a few ingredients and baking them in the oven. That's it!

So let's start with the spinach. I use a box of frozen chopped spinach, which I can cook in the microwave in about 5 minutes.

Very important tip, though: make sure that you place the cooked spinach in a dish towel and SQUEEZE it dry. You want to get as much water out as possible before adding the spinach to your bars.

Another little tip: I find that hand-grating the cheese (which only takes a minute or two) is far better than using the bagged stuff in this recipe. The block of cheese just melts much smoother than the pre-shredded version.

Then, as I mentioned, you just stir everything together!

Transfer the batter to a 9-inch square baking dish, and pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Allow the spinach squares to cool slightly before slicing and serving!

Can you freeze spinach squares?

Yes! This make ahead appetizer can be baked in advance, and then wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months.

How to Reheat Spinach Squares:

To reheat frozen spinach squares, place the frozen squares in a 400-degree F oven for about 20 minutes.

The spinach squares are delicious when served warm or at room temperature, so they're great for setting out at a party. You don't have to worry about keeping them warm! They're also not messy or hard to eat, so your guests will thank you! They can grab a Cheesy Spinach Square in one hand and hold a glass of wine in the other! Cheers!

COOK'S TIPS:

Serving a larger crowd? Double the recipe and bake the spinach squares in a 9 x 13-inch dish.
Be sure that the spinach is squeezed very dry before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. To do so, I like to place the cooked spinach in a dish towel and wring it out over the sink. You'll be amazed by how much water comes out!
Grate the cheese by hand, rather than purchasing a package of pre-shredded cheese. This extra step is worth the effort, since the hand-grated cheese melts better (and tastes better)!
If freezing the squares, be sure to allow them to cool completely before wrapping.
Want to use fresh spinach instead of frozen chopped spinach? I have never prepared the recipe with fresh spinach myself, but a reader has tested it and commented below. See her note if you'd like to give it a try!

You might also enjoy these recipes with chopped spinach:

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