Parmesan Spinach Balls

This is another one of the things that my daughter asked me to make for her birthday dinner.  In fact, both of my kids have been asking me to fix them for quite a while.  I know, that may sound odd, my daughter asked for a spinach dish as part of her birthday meal, but it's the honest-to-goodness truth.  Spinach balls are a favorite of both children.  Yes, I realize that I have been blessed with kids that love a wide variety of vegetables and aren't afraid to try new things.  And, yes, I am very thankful for that.  Since these are a lot easier to make than the red velvet cake, I gladly agreed to her birthday wish. 

I did try something new this time, though:  I baked them instead of frying them in oil.  If I had a good, garlic-infused oil, I would still choose frying over baking, but otherwise, baking is a nice way to cut some fat and calories.  I just had to tweak the baking time a little, as this was my first time trying them this way.

One big key in making the spinach balls is making sure to get as much water out of the spinach as possible.  If there's too much liquid, they won't hold together.  Then you'll have spinach pancakes instead of balls, which I suppose would be okay, but then I'd have to take new pictures and change the name.  Let's just get all the water out - it will be less work for me.

Here's your Cast of Characters.

1 Lb. bag frozen, chopped spinach, thawed out
2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/2 Cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tsps. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tsps. Lawry's seasoning salt
1/2 Tsp. pepper
1 Tsp. onion powder
1 Tsp. garlic powder

Place spinach in a colander in the sink.  Take a handful and squeeze out all the liquid.  Put in a medium mixing bowl, along with the eggs.  Repeat until all the spinach has been drained.

Add remaining ingredients.

Stir well, making sure to thoroughly combine.

Line a large cookie sheet with foil.  Shape spinach mixture into ping pong size balls.

Bake in a 350 oven for 30-40 minutes until cooked through, and browned on both sides.  About halfway through cooking time, flip them over to get equally browned.

Enjoy!