Been making this recipe for many years. I typically bake just enough to serve, freezing the rest to bake another time. Makes about 40 1″ balls.
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 6 Tbs. butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 c. dry bread crumbs (I use Panko crumbs from TJ’s, but seasoned Italian crumbs are really good)
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1/4 tsp. basil
- 1 10oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/4 c. sesame or hemp seeds, approx. (The hemp seeds adhere better than sesame and add a delicious nutty taste.)
In food processor, mince onion and garlic. Add butter and process. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix again briefly.
In large bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and seasonings. Stir in onion-butter mixture. Mix in spinach until well combined (I use my hands). Cover and refrigerate one hour.
Form spinach into 1″ balls and place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Pour the sesame or hemp seeds into a small bowl, and roll each ball in seeds to coat. Return seeded balls to the baking sheet (minus the wax paper).
Options: 1) Cover and refrigerate up to one day; 2) Freeze on baking sheet, then put in zip-lock bag up to 2 months.
To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake room-temp balls 20 minutes, then check for doneness and add additional baking time as needed. I find that it usually needs at least 30 min. Balls should be slightly firm. Bake frozen balls 30-35 minutes, adding additional baking time as needed.