These healthy Spinach Bites are an excellent choice for a nutritious, homemade appetizer. Once you realize how quickly you can whip up a batch of these, you won’t think about choosing frozen appetizers ever again!
One benefit of making your own appetizers, like these Spinach Bites, is that you can customize them to your taste preferences. For example, if you like spicy, then add some red pepper flakes to the recipe. If you prefer a sharper cheese, you can use cheddar instead of mozzarella. Another benefit of taking the extra few minutes to have a homemade appetizer is that it is more cost effective than buying a pre-made version.
Pick up the ingredients (if you don’t have them in your kitchen already) for this easy recipe and make them for your next gathering. Best of all, these spinach bites are tasty cold too so they make great leftovers, especially for your child’s lunchbox!
- 1 5 oz. package fresh spinach leaves
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim the stems off the spinach leaves.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the spinach leaves for about 3 minutes, until they become wilted. Drain, then when they are cooled, use your hands to squeeze the excess water.
- Place the spinach leaves on a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In the same bowl, add the eggs, mozzarella, panko breadcrumbs, basil and salt and pepper. Combine using a spoon until all ingredients are mixed together, creating a thick batter.
- Using your hands or a melon scooper, form small, 1 inch balls out of the spinach batter.
- Place the balls on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until firm and golden brown.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces like tomato sauce and pesto, or eat plain.
