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This (and the Scalloped Potatoes to follow) make use of the basic Bechamel (white) sauce (found here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15061786/ ). But we're going to kick that sauce up with some savory veggies (shallots and garlic), and then "cheese it" with a selection of cheeses, to form a rich, creamy base for the star veggie.

To save a bit of time, wuffy used frozen chopped spinach. But you could just as easily use fresh spinach. If you do, Vrghr recommends chopping it up and sautéing it in a bit skillet with a bit of bacon grease until it cooks down, instead of boiling it. Not only will you get more flavors, but you won't have to deal with wringing out the extra water that can dilute your creamy Bechamel base.

This is not your "Boston Market" version of creamed spinach. Don't get wuffy wrong; that's some GOOD spinach. But this one has a slightly different flavor profile. A hint of sweetness from the nutmeg, and the salty savory tang from the bacon as well as a touch of additional complexity from the bit of Amish Bleu cheese makes for a wonderful combination of flavors.

If you're in a hurry, you could skip the last steps of broiling it as a casserole, and just serve it straight into a bowl. But for the holiday Feast, Vrghr wanted the additional extra presentation of the casserole with the lovely browned and bubbly bits of cheese on top.

Note: Omnivore Salt is a wonderful blend of herbs and spices and gourmet sea salt. You can get some here: http://www.Omnivoresalt.com

Ingredients

2 bags (1 lb each) frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed
4 strips double-smoked peppered thick-cut Bacon
~3 C Milk
1 C minced Shallots
5 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Flour
1 Tbs minced Garlic
4 oz grated Italian Mix Cheese
4 oz Swiss Cheese
2 oz Parmesan and Fontina Blend Cheese
2 oz Amish Bleu Cheese
2 oz grated Parmegiano Reggiano Cheese
2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Omnivore Salt
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

Directions:[b]

Chop the thick-cut peppered bacon into small chunks.

In a small sauce pan, heat the milk until it is steaming.

Melt butter over medium high heat in a 3-4 Qt sauce pan until it stops foaming.

Add the minced shallots and minced garlic, and season with Omnivore salt and ground black pepper. Sauté until shallots turn translucent.

Add flour and whisk in. Cook for 3-5 minutes, but do not brown the roux.

Gradually whisk in the heated milk, whisking until smooth.

Whisk in ground nutmeg and cook a minute or two.

Stir in all the cheeses except the grated Parmegiano Reggiano (it's used for a topping at the end). Cook, stirring occasionally, until all are melted in and combined.

Fold in the thawed spinach and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching (you may want to reduce heat to medium).

While spinach is heating, in a small skillet, fry the bacon until just starting to crisp.

Pour off all but 1-2 Tbs of bacon fat. Add fried bacon and fat to heated spinach and stir in. (Can omit this step if you want to keep this vegetarian.)

Transfer the spinach to a casserole dish, top with the grated Parmegiano Reggieano, and broil until the top just starts to slightly brown.

Note: If you're in a hurry, you can skip that last step and just serve it straight out of the pan.

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[b]Allergy warning – please read all recipes carefully and be aware of any allergies or sensitivities that may effect your health and well-being