Mmmmmmm! Why does everything always taste better when it’s swimming in cheese? Or maybe it’s just me? Nah. It really does. 😉 Especially things like spinach.

If you think you hate it, this recipe just might change your mind. 😉

I despised spinach when I was a kid. It literally made me gag. But it was the slimy canned stuff. Yuck-O! I didn’t really care much for any green veggies when I was a little girl as a matter of fact. (Except lettuce. I loved salads!)

Later in life I learned why. As we age, our taste buds dull, and they are razor sharp when we’re kids. But that’s not such a terrible thing. 😉 We can then tolerate much more intense flavors that we couldn’t always handle when we were little.

By now I should be able to eat just about anything. 😉

But me and spinach still aren’t exactly close friends. I can still only tolerate that dark green “alien stuff” in certain things and certain ways. And I still don’t much care for goopy canned. I pretty much draw the line right there.

My favorite is fresh of course, especially baby spinach leaves, but I also don’t mind what is used for this recipe. The ever popular, multi-use, frozen chopped boxed kind. I admit, it really does come in handy sometimes!

And it’s very economical! If you’d like to try this with fresh, by all means go for it! But if you just want a quick dish to make as a simple side, this really turned out comforting and delicious!

Loaded with 2 cheeses, this spinach dish is decadently rich, and ohhh so creamy! One of the secrets to adding extra creaminess in dishes such as this, is honestly, to add a little mayo to it. I only use a little and stick with Hellmann’s regular (heavy) mayo. Theirs always works for me, and there’s never a fear of it breaking and separating, or curdling. You’re on your own if you choose to sub something else.

And, if you’re looking for a low-fat dish, you’ll want to keep looking. But there’s nothing wrong with spoiling yourself a little. And always remember to just eat in moderation. Have a smoothie for breakfast, and enjoy a nice dinner early in the day! Otherwise known as “linner” around here.  Your body can handle a few calories. 😉

Simply serve with a nice fresh salad and a lean grilled meat or fish, and you’re all set! Cut the calories elsewhere to balance everything out. 😉

As far as the cheeses go, I used fresh pecorino romano and Sharp Cheddar Velveeta. That sharp cheddar really isn’t bad! It had a very nice cheese flavor actually and of course is a reliable cheese to melt without any oiliness and melts quickly, which is exactly what’s needed here.

I’m no food snob. And I’ve personally never been on the Velveeta hate train. My Grandma used it, my mom uses it, and I have no problems using it, too. It didn’t kill any of us. 😉

So if you’re in need of an easy side dish, that’s cheesy, comforting, and at least has a healthy veggie in it, you’ll want to make this soon! I have a feeling you’ll be making this a lot this summer. It really goes well with just about anything grilled!! And comes together in a snap! Hope you enjoy, and I’ll see you soon!

Yield: 6 servings

Creamy Cheesy Spinach Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cups + 1 Tbl. cold water
• 2 tsp. Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 2 tsp. dried minced onion
• 1½ tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 cup regular white rice
• 2 Tbl. real butter, cut up
• 8 oz. Sharp Cheddar Velveeta, cubed
• 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino-romano cheese
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup cream or milk
• 1/2 of a 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (save rest for another use)

Instructions

In medium saucepan, add water and next 7 ingredients.

Heat over medium high heat, covered with tight-fitting lid, until it comes to a boil. Stir, recover, turn down to LOW, and let simmer for 16 minutes. *Do not lift lid while simmering!

When time is up, remove lid, quickly stir in cheeses, mayo and spinach, and recover.

Let sit for 5-8 minutes.

When cheeses have melted and are soft, re-stir until creamy and cheeses are stirred in evenly. Serve hot.

Notes

*More cream or milk can be added, or added when reheated, for a thinner consistency if desired.