Straight from the family recipe box! A cozy, hearty ground beef and spinach casserole with fresh mushrooms and melty jack cheese. You call it what you want, we call it Spinach Fandango.
A Retro Recipe
I don’t know the exact lineage of this retro cheese-topped casserole.
The recipe card for “Spinach Fandango” is in my Nana’s handwriting and it was the dish I frequently requested for my birthday dinners as a kid.
Did you grow up with this one? A quick Google search tells me a lot of people from the midwest did.
Making Substitutions for Ground Beef and Spinach Casserole
I have slightly modified Nana’s original recipe, but the flavors and texture are the same.
Instead of the canned cream of celery soup in the original, I substitute a tablespoon of butter and 3/4 cup of milk to replicate the moisture and texture.
Instead of canned mushrooms I use fresh sliced button mushrooms.
Otherwise, the rest reads exactly the same.
Strain the Spinach
One of the important steps not to skip in this recipe is to strain the liquid from the defrosted frozen spinach before adding it to the meat mixture. I take the frozen spinach and put it into a microwave safe bowl and cook it until it’s defrosted. Then, I press the spinach up to the side of the bowl to extract the liquid and then pour it off. Straining the water ensures you won’t have a watery casserole in the end.
Here’s what the mixture should look like once you’ve added all of the components together before the cheese topping:
Next add the cheese!
Oh, and a note about cheese. Be sure to shred it yourself. Don’t buy pre-shredded. Pre-shredded is treated with potato starch to prevent clumping, but it affects the meltability factor.
Take the time and shred your own.
Make It Low Carb
This dish can easily be made low-carb friendly by substituting the rice with riced cauliflower. I did a side by side comparison of the version with regular rice vs with cauliflower and Mr. Simon actually preferred the cauliflower!
I used one 10oz package of frozen riced cauliflower and cooked it according to the package directions. Then, I pressed it up against the side of the bowl to remove the excess water and strained off that liquid. Again, just like with the spinach, I didn’t want a watery consistency to the final casserole. Too, instead of 3/4 cup of milk, I only used 1/4 cup of milk. Otherwise, the recipe is the exact same.
Hot Outta the Oven
Nothing makes me happier than pulling a hot casserole, bubbly with crispy melty cheese on top! I mean, how can you resist?!
I do recommend giving it a couple minutes to cool down after it comes out of the oven. Letting it cool about five minutes allows the filling to bind together so that when you slice it up, it comes out in nice squares.
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Cheesy Spinach and Beef Casserole (Spinach Fandango)
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
A cozy, hearty spinach and beef casserole with fresh mushrooms and melty jack cheese. You call it what you want, we call it Spinach Fandango.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20 or leaner)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 8 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 – 12oz packages of frozen spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup long grain white rice (or rice of your choice) prepared according to package directions (measurement based on dry uncooked rice)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbs butter
- 3/4 cup milk or cream
- 8 oz shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, combine the 1lb ground beef, 1 diced onion, 8oz fresh sliced mushrooms, 1 clove of minced garlic, and 1 tsp oregano and cook over medium heat until meat is browned and the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- While the beef mixture is browning, microwave the frozen spinach to defrost it. I microwaved it in a microwave safe bowl for 4 minutes. Then, remove from the microwave and over the sink, press the spinach up against the sides of the bowl to extract excess liquid and drain off the liquid. You can also use cheesecloth or a sieve if you prefer.
- Once the spinach is fully strained, add it to the browned beef mixture and toss to combine.
- Next, combine the cooked rice, 1 tsp oregano, 1 cup sour cream, 1 Tbs butter and 3/4 cup of milk in a small bowl and stir until combined and creamy. If the rice isn’t warm and the butter doesn’t melt, you can microwave it for 45 seconds.
- Add the creamy rice mix to the beef and spinach mixture and then pour it all into a medium to large sized rectangular casserole dish and spread evenly to all sides.
- Sprinkle 8 oz shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese on top is melty and slightly browned.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes after removing from the oven before slicing.
Notes
Make it Keto: substitute one 10oz package of frozen riced cauliflower for the rice and cook it according to the package directions. Then, press it up against the side of the bowl to remove the excess water and strain off that liquid. Too, instead of 3/4 cup of milk, I only used 1/4 cup of milk. Otherwise, the recipe is the exact same.
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This looks delicious! I’ve followed your YouTube channel but have never checked out your recipes before. Looking forward to trying this!
Thanks for stopping by! New YouTube videos coming soon <3
Hello!! I’m wondering if you’ve ever frozen this casserole before. If so, any tips? We’re trying this recipe tomorrow and hoping to make one & freeze one.
Thank you!!
Yep! If you plan to freeze a whole tray, take it to the step where you sprinkle the cheese on top, but don’t follow through with baking, freeze it with the cheese un-melted. Melted cheese doesn’t generally hold up well in the freezer and usually won’t re-heat well.
If I use fresh spinach should I cook it first and then add to beef or could I add it after washing?
Good question! I’ve never prepared it with fresh so I can’t say for certain, but if I was going to attempt it, I’d cook the spinach down first and then add it to the beef. If you do go with fresh, let me know how it turns out!
Thank you! I actually made it tonight and cooked the spinach down first. If using fresh you will need 10+ ounces but it was fantastic! Thank you so much!!
That’s awesome to know! Glad it was a hit <3
Thanks for the info! I am using fresh spinach and was hoping to see if anyone substituted!!!
I used fresh spinach and I just waited until the beef was browned and threw it in for a couple minutes, just long enough to make it wilted. Turned out great 😁
I did the same. I cooked the beef mixture and after it was browned, threw in a 9 oz bag of spinach and cooked till wilted. Next time I think I’d chop it up a bit.
Tried your recipe today for dinner it turned out awesome thank you so much.
So glad to hear! It’s definitely a personal favorite <3
Made this today. Followed the recipe exactly but it was very bland. Seems like something is missing.
I agree with you. I think that I might add a bell pepper and garlic power.
Made this for one of my Ladies meetings and everyone loved it. Was wondering if you have ever substituted
Was wondering if you ever substituted chicken firvthe ground beef? What other changes would need to be made. Don’t want to use pasta.
Hi Rhonda, I’ve never done any substitutions on this recipe other than the swapping of cauliflower for rice. But, I bet ground chicken could be good too. I don’t think any changes would need to be made because of it since it’s not altering the moisture in the dish. If you try it out let me know!
I love spinach! And beef!! This is amazing! I used a salad spinner to get the moisture out of my spinach. Thanks for sharing.
This was pretty close to what I was looking for – I had spinach & mushrooms that needed using. I added a couple teaspoons of cornstarch (it seemed wet – I didn’t put too much effort into squeezing my spinach) and added a bit of parmesan cheese & a chopped tomato before adding the cheese.
This was so delicious! I was looking for something that I could call semi-healthy involving ground beef and spinach and this checked the box! I’m always guilty of overdoing it with the cheese, but that’s a me problem 🙂 Consistency was perfect and flavor was great! I’m normally a one-and-done with casserole servings, but with this bad-boy I went back for round 2 and so did the hubby. Also, I immediately sent this to my farm-to-table farmer best friend as she has a fridge full of ground deer meat at home and needs creative solutions to work through that. This will definetly be going on my short list for go-to meals for family and potluck events. Thanks for sharing your grandma’s Fandango. She continues to permeate 2022 with her delicious meals! I’m grateful for that as tonight, she saved my dinner dilemma!
I used cream of mushroom soup and fresh spinach!
I have made this several time and it’s delish! I used fresh spinach and added to the beef until wilted. Big hit in this house as it’s on my dinner rotation. Yummm😋
Question: making this today and am confused re the oregano. It appears twice in the instructions but I only see 1 tsp listed in the ingredient list. Do I use 1 tsp twice? Thanks! Looking forward to having this for dinner tonight.
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I loved the recipe! However, I tweaked it a little bit. I added carrots and broccoli. I chopped the carrots and broccoli florets finely. Then I precook. Once cooked I added the onions and then mushrooms. I cooked the meat separately. I also used fresh not frozen spinach. I microwaved a fresh bag of spinach for 2 minutes. Then chopped the leaves and added to the mixer. I think I will be reducing the sour cream and cream in the future and adding feta to the the mixer. This recipe is so versatile. It can be tweaked in so many ways.
Love all these fun tweaks Cris! As a fan of feta I’m obsessed with this idea! I’ll have to try it.
I found it to be a bit bland, so I added dry ranch seasoning packet to the beef and spinach mixture and added some to the rice mixture before combining.🤷♀️
Nice! Definitely a great recipe for making it your own <3
I made this for my mom’s birthday because she is getting older, works a ton and hardly cooks anymore. Figured this would be an easy thing to heat up for her to eat. I was excited for this recipe but it was extremely bland. I also had to add in another half pound of ground beef so it didn’t feel like you were just eating a mushy amalgamation of rice and spinach. I don’t know if my taste buds are fried or what but this needs way more seasoning.
This sounds delicious! Wanting to make this recipe, but needed to clarify that the rice is raw? or is it cooked?
I cooked the rice first, then added it in. Turned out great.
I used the rice measurement given to measure the dry/raw rice; and ended up with ~1 1/2 cups-ish of cooked rice.
To 1/2 cup dry rice, I added 1 1/2 cups water-microwaved uncovered on High 5 minutes then medium for 15 minutes; just to make it that much easier on myself. But you can cook the rice however you normally would, or use pre-cooked rice.
This was a big hit for my Sunday brunch today. I actually forgot the mushrooms; but other than that it’s entirely things I almost always have on hand; and SO easy to put together!
Thanks for sharing this- will definitely become a repeat as-is and also a go-to option for trying different spices, etc. and will have to try again with mushrooms-lol.
I have made this once and was over the moon, it was so good!!! Am making it again tonight and cannot wait to eat it and share it. I love all of the ingredients of this dish and it shares well to others. I even added a small amount of shredded carrots for color and nutrition. And I used a brown/wild rice packaged mix for the rice portion. Again, for diabetics and general nutrition. A big hit everywhere! Senior folks like me really love a good, nutrition packed meal and this really fits that bill. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s such a great hearty meal!
I made this!!!!! My husband loved it, and I found it very easy to make and delicious. Thank-you.
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
I loved this recipe! I did make a few changes. I used fresh spinach. I added freshly grated parmesan to the rice mixture. I also substituted white sharp cheddar for the Monterrey cheese. Overall, it was delicious! My family loved it. I will definitely make it again.
I’m so glad to hear it! Love the addition of parm!
I have been making this recipe for decades. Original recipe for me came from the Pink Parsley cookbook. The Junior League of Rockford, IL put out this cookbook in the 70’s I believe.
I add two eggs, scrambled into the mixing bowl ingredients. Sets up the casserole very well for cutting. Almost like a souffle.
Loved the recipe! For those who like to put a little zing in the casserole I added chopped artichokes, red bell pepper, poblano, some cream cheese to sauce and garlic powder. Will make again!
Yum! Love that!