Pizza Potatoes over Sautéed Spinach (Secret Recipe Club)

by Dorothy Reinhold on July 30, 2012


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Most summer nights, dinner needs to be prepared efficiently and with the least amount of kitchen heat.

A few potatoes lingered in the wire basket on the counter, a jar of marinara sat in the pantry and some fresh spinach was tucked into the veggie drawer in the refrigerator. It all came together for a delicious dinner that was on the table in about half an hour, using the microwave oven for ease.

This recipe comes from the charming blog Natural Noshing, written by Nora, who describes herself as an “active, twenty-something ‘foodie’ with a passion for nutrition and eating natural, real food — nothing too fussy, over-processed or complicated.”

Her blog is gluten-free, mostly refined sugar-free, and if you find yourself needing either of those specialties, pay her a visit. Even if you don’t, her recipes look delicious. I have bookmarked her Mixed Grain Salad with Avocado and Black Beans, and her Turkey-Stuffed Red Bell Peppers, which looks like a wonderful dinner. Her Grain-Free Lentil Flatbread intrigues me , and I can see some Beet Chips in my future.

But those potatoes were staring at me from my counter, and pizza is a perennial favorite, so these Pizza Potatoes over Sautéed Spinach leaped out from the screen and onto our plates, like little vegetarian pizza potato boats floating in a sea of green.

Pizza Potatoes mushroom mixture

The mushroom-onion-red bell pepper mixture is good enough to eat by itself!

Pizza Potatos over Sauteed Spinach

Leave enough potato attached to the skin so the frame holds up.

So glad they did! Make them tonight, or perhaps for Meatless Monday?

Pizza Potatoes over Sauteed Spinach

Recipe: Pizza Potatoes over Sautéed Spinach

Summary: Baked potatoes are napped with chunky marinara and rest on a bed of garlicky spinach in a gluten-free, vegetarian dinner.

Pizza Potatoes over Sauteed SpinachIngredients

  • 4 medium to large Idaho russet potatoes (organic preferred; choose size relative to your family’s appetite)

Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • ½ a red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
  • Pinch kosher or sea salt
  • A few shakes crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
  • 1 cup jarred marinara sauce (or perhaps a bit more)
  • 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Spinach bed

  • 1 pound spinach leaves, washed and spun dry
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Scrub potatoes well and leave skin on. Pierce each potato once with a knife and weigh all potatoes. Microwave on high power (1100-watt oven) for 6-7 minutes per pound. (Your timing will depend on weight of potatoes you use.) Alternatively, you may bake the potatoes in a conventional oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
  2. While potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, Italian seasoning, fennel, salt and crushed red pepper and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat and scrape vegetables into a mixing bowl. Don’t wash the skillet, but leave it for the final spinach step in this recipe.
  4. When potatoes are done, remove from the oven, wrap them in a tea towel together and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove from the towel and cut each potato in half vertically. With a spoon or tiny cookie scoop, carefully scoop out the potato innards into the bowl with the vegetables; make sure you leave enough potato attached to the skin so the shells stay intact.
  5. Add ½ cup marinara sauce to the vegetables in the bowl, and stir to combine the vegetables, potato innards and marinara. Using a spoon, scoop the mixture and spoon it back into the empty potato shells.
  6. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the 8 now-stuffed potato halves, and top each with a pinch of shredded mozzarella. Place them back into the microwave and cook just long enough to heat through and melt the cheese. This may take only 20-30 seconds or so per potato, depending on how much they cooled off during preparation.
  7. Meanwhile, make the spinach bed. Reheat the skillet that you cooked the vegetables in (no need to wash it), and add the spinach (no need for any oil). Sauté for 1-3 minutes, until spinach is wilted down. Add garlic during the last minute. Using a tongs, place spinach in wide, flat bowls or plates, and spread it as a bed. Place one or two stuffed potato halves on each bed of spinach and serve!
  8. Offer grated Parmesan at the table for anyone who would like a sprinkle.
  9. Serves 4.

Source

Recipe adapted from the blog Natural Noshing.

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Diet type: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: Italian

{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

Carrie Robinson March 19, 2020 at 3:59 pm

What a fun way to stuff potatoes! Yum! 🙂

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Jen March 19, 2020 at 3:53 pm

Pizza is always a winner in our house. Love this fun twist!

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Amanda March 19, 2020 at 3:03 pm

This looks absolutely delicious!

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Sara Welch March 19, 2020 at 2:40 pm

What a fun and unique recipe! My kids will have a lot of fun making dinner tonight; these look too good to pass up!

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kristy @ gastronomical sovereignty August 3, 2012 at 9:22 am

hahaha – so adorable! they look like little stuffed treasures in that bowl of green! it’s unique and would give me the big punch of veggie i feel like i need sometimes. love it 🙂

happy belated SRC reveal day!

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Jenni August 1, 2012 at 9:56 am

This is definitely a very fun recipe, and probably not one I would think up myself! Great SRC post!

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Shari, The Saucy Gourmet July 31, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Pizza Potato, I am loving this!! Can’t wait to try it. I am so excited to be a new member of SRC, look forward to sharing!

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RavieNomNoms July 31, 2012 at 9:59 am

Oh what a great idea!! I love this. Such a nice spin on the classic potato!

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Asiya July 31, 2012 at 9:58 am

What a great variation on pizza….love the addition of mushrooms! Great SRC pick!

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Kirstin July 31, 2012 at 9:14 am

Yum! This sounds so good and so easy for a quick meal.

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Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen July 30, 2012 at 6:33 pm

You’re right, that pepper mixture does sound good enough to eat on its own! Great choice for SRC.

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Jeanette July 30, 2012 at 4:49 pm

What a fantastically healthy vegetarian meal. Great pick for SRC. I especially like the idea of serving this on a bed of spinach, so good for you.

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twitter_joyskitchen July 30, 2012 at 2:01 pm

This looks amazing – I am trying it for sure! Thanks!

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Sarah E July 30, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Wow! All of my favorite things in one! 🙂

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Lisa~~ July 30, 2012 at 12:11 pm

What an awesome way to have “pizza” or potatoes…either way you look at it you dish sounds and looks delicious.

Lisa~~

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Debbi Does Dinner Healthy July 30, 2012 at 11:13 am

What a great meal! Vegetarian and gluten free, I love it!

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christy July 30, 2012 at 10:53 am

wow..these sure do look amazing–what a great mid-week gotta rush dinner.

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Nora @ Natural Noshing July 30, 2012 at 10:01 am

So glad you enjoyed the pizza potatoes! I am a lover of all things pizza and these are an easy and different way to enjoy a family favorite 🙂 Love the photos and thanks for the feedback Dorothy!

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Bakingaddict July 30, 2012 at 9:11 am

This looks delicious! I love potatoes and mushrooms. Easy to prepare speaks to me too! I had your lovely blog this month and everyone was very impressed with your recipe! I made strawberry blueberry cake (didnt have blackberries) One of my favourite SRC recipes so far – thank you!

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