Spinach Balls

I have to admit, I was pretty excited when I saw my recipe for this week's swap from Melissa at I Was Born to Cook.  Spinach balls were always part of the spread at the annual holiday open house my mom always hosted when we lived in Pittsburgh, and so I associate them with all of the happiness and excitement at the holidays.  So much so, in fact, that I never considered making them any other time of the year.  But they really are perfect for spring gatherings, with the freshness of the spinach balancing the salty bite of the cheese.

I did adjust Melissa's recipe a bit, dropping it to two eggs instead of three at the mixture was pretty wet already without the third, and using plain breadcrumbs and adding my own seasonings.  I also went with dried onion instead of fresh, as I wanted the slightly less astringent, sweeter taste here.  Finally, I left out the butter accidentally, but these still tasted great without it.  I popped most of these into the freezer, ready to be reheated the next time an impromptu deck party happens.

Spinach Balls

What's in them:

1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and really dried.  Seriously, wring that stuff out until it can't be wrung anymore.
1/2 c grated parmesan or pecorino romano
1/3 c unseasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2  eggs, beaten

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Roll mixture into small balls (I ended up with 14 1-in balls) and place on baking sheets lined with foil.   Bake for 20 minutes.