Spinach was one of my mom’s favorite vegetables and I enjoyed eating it as a child. My mother cooked creamed spinach, spinach with cream simmered with onions and butter. Our family doctor prescribed spinach for my mom to increase the iron in her blood; spinach is high in iron and the B vitamins. Recent studies have also shown that spinach fights against certain cancers including prostate cancer; it is high in anti-cancer carotenoids which are the bright colors in vegetables and fruits. These types of colorful fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and help to keep the blood stream clean of free radicals and other cancer causing agents.
This recipe for spinach casserole calls for spinach as the main ingredient, cream cheese, blended white cheese including shredded provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan, eggs, onion, mushroom, garlic and salt and pepper. The cream cheese I have chosen to use in this recipe is by the the brand Kraft, “Philadelphia Since 1872” sold in most all grocery stores. This cream cheese is a favorite for many American recipes including cheese cake, quiche and cheese balls. The name Philadelphia was given to the product because, at the time, the best dairy farms were in Philadelphia-the product was originally produced in upstate New York.
Kraft Food’s main headquarters is in Northfield, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Following Nestle food company, Kraft foods is now the second largest North American food and beverage company. They employ about 100,000 employees and operate in 70 different countries as Kraft International. The North American segment produces five different categories of foods including snacks and cereal products, convenient meals, beverages, cheese products and grocery condiments.
Kraft began when J.L. Kraft, a cheese salesman, patented his first processed cheese product in Stockton, Illinois in 1916. The company then started supplying cheese to the United States army in tins during World War 1. In October, 2012 Kraft split into two companies, Mondelēz International, Inc. became the snack food portion of the company, while the remainder of the company operated as Kraft Foods Group, Inc. to serve the North American grocery stores. In July 2015 Kraft merged with Heinz foods and became The Kraft Heinz Company. This merger combined the third largest food and beverage business along with the fifth largest food and beverage business in the world, together.
Kraft contracts with dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest region in Idaho. One of these dairy farms, Dry Creek Dairy, owned by Bettencourt Dairies LLC., has 10,000 milking cows and is owned by Luis Bettencourt who also owns 13 other dairy farms that produce cow’s milk from 60,000 cows. In 2012, Bettencourt sold the dairy farm as a result of farm workers abusing the cows. These farm workers were videotaped punching, dragging and kicking the cows, and these disturbing videos were released to the public, the media and animal abuse activists.
Spinach Casserole
3 (10) ounce packs of frozen spinach, well thawed and well drained of their juice1 (8) ounce box of Philadelphia cream cheese
2-3 cups of shredded mixed cheese including mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone
5 beaten eggs
4-6 large white mushrooms, diced
1 large onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
Season with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil
In a large cooking pot, heat the oil, add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook until translucent, then add the mushrooms, cook until soft.
Add the Philadelphia cream cheese, on a low heat, continue to stir until melted in with the onion, garlic mushrooms, stirring frequently.
When the cream cheese is stirred and melted into the translucent vegetables, remove from heat. Add the beaten eggs and shredded mixed cheese. Add the spinach stirring, not over mixing together, but well blended. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a glass or metal baking dish by greasing the interior and sides.
Spread mixture into the baking dish, sprinkle a little of the remaining shredded cheese mixture on the top and cook for 35-40 minutes.
References
The World’s Healthiest Foods, 2001-2016. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43 Accessed 12/12/16
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraft_Foods Accessed 12/13/16
The History of Kraft Foods Inc. http://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/kraftfoods.pdf Accessed 12/13/16
Magicvalley News. http://magicvalley.com/business/agriculture/bettencourt-sells-dairy-that-was-site-of-animal-cruelty-video/article_9402143b Accessed 12/13/16
Wikinvest 2006-2012. http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Kraft_Foods_(KFT) Accessed 12/13/16
Frugal Antics of a Harried Home Maker. June 5, 2015. http://frugalanticsrecipes.com/2013/06/creamy-spinach-casserole/ Accessed 12/13/16