If you want just plain Spinach Kugel, substitute egg beaters or similar for the eggs.  It doesn’t rise, but tastes just as good

Since some people can’t eat dairy, I always make a large batch of plain spinach soufflé, and separate into two baking dishes, and add cheese to 2/3 of the recipe before baking.

One 8×8” baking dish—for plain souffle

One 9×12” baking dish—for cheese souffle

What you do is start with a base of spinach and seasonings, then differentiate the dairy from the pareve at the last minute and bring two pans to the potluck.

INGREDIENTS:

4 or 5 lbs fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped, or thawed frozen chopped spinach. Yes, I said POUNDS of spinach. This serves 40 at a potluck.

Two Extra Large ~Onions~

Six Eggs, which you will separate eventually.

Cornstarch~Nutmeg~Chives~Basil~Osem Chicken Consomme mix~Salt~White Pepper~Almond Milk~Olive Oil~PAM cooking spray—baking version~Panko bread crumbs or Gluten Free Matza Meal~Raw Onion

 For the Dairy Souffle, grate and set aside:

~½ lb sharp~Cheddar Cheese~

Spray the two baking dishes with PAM and coat with crumbs (Panko crumbs or gluten free matza meal crumbs both work well. Set  the coated dishes aside.

 Chop 2 Extra Large onions to ½” dice. Separate out 3 TB raw onion, which you will mix with 6 TB crumbs (either panko or GF Matza meal)  and 2 TB oil for a topping and set aside.

Using a large pot, take the rest of the chopped onion, and sauté in olive oil till almost transparent

 Remove sauteed onions from pot and put in large bowl.

Add 2 pounds of the coarsely chopped spinach to the pot where you sauteed the onions;  cook for about 5 minutes, till spinach is wilted, turning spinach around in pan so it cooks evenly.  Put cooked spinach in bowl, leaving cooking liquid in pot.

Repeat with other 2 pounds of spinach–cook the fresh spinach in the leftover cooking liquid for about 5 minutes, then add that cooked spinach to the large bowl with the onions and previously cooked spinach.

Turn off heat in pot with spinach liquid

Add 1 cup almond milk to cooking liquid.

Mix in:

1 tsp nutmeg

1 TB Basil

½ tsp chives

1 TB Osem Consomme Mix

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

3 TB Olive oil

Combine in small dish:

4 TB Cornstarch

4 TB water

Add to liquid in pot. Turn on heat, cook until thickened, whisking. Add the spinach and onion mixture, then let the mixture cool while you separate and beat the eggs.

This is a good time to take a small bowl and combine:

3 TB raw onion,

6 TB crumbs (either panko or GF Matza meal)  

2 TB oil for a topping and set aside. 

Separate 6 eggs.

Whip the whites and reserve–you will be using them in a few minutes. Stir the yolks well, and add into the cooled spinach mixture, then fold in the egg whites.

 NOW, bring out the coated dishes.

Pour 1/3 of the spinach into the smaller dish, for the pareve (non-dairy) kugel. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the topping mix.

Add the cheddar cheese into the remaining spinach mixture and

Pour into the the larger dish.

Sprinkle top of  dairy souffles with topping mix.

Bake in 350 convection oven for ½ hour.