Crafts and Life

Six large baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
6 tablespoons olive oil
four medium cloves garlic, minced
1.5 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
one medium onion, chopped
three-quarter pound fresh white mushrooms, sliced thin
1.5 pounds spinach, stemmed and washed
1.5 cups ricotta cheese
half pound Gruyère cheese, shredded

preheat the oven to 400°/200 C/gas six. Grease to large baking sheet and set them aside.

Scrub potatoes under cold running water but do not peel them. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarter inch thick slices. Place the slices in a large bowl. Combine for tablespoons oil with the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and half teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and toss gently. (With your hands is the easiest, if messiest, way to do this.) Lay the potato slices out on the prepared pans, making sure they do not overlap. Cover the pans tightly with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven, uncover, and cool. Do not turn off the oven.

While the potatoes are baking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft, about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they throw off their juices, about five minutes more. Stir in the spinach and the remaining half teaspoon salt and quarter teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until the spinach wilts, about four minutes. Uncover and cook off any liquid in the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the ricotta.

Grease a 13 x 9" baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with one third of the potatoes. Spoon half of the spinach mixture over the potatoes and then sprinkle with one third of the Gruyère. Make another layer of potatoes and cover with remaining spinach mixture and another third of the cheese. Cover with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake until the casserole turns golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let settle for five minutes before cutting up slices.

Serves 6 to 8 – taken from Cooking with FRIENDS