Layered Crepe Dish with Ham & Spinach (Sopa de crepas)
My mother perfected a version of this dish -- a takeoff on more traditional filled crepe dishes -- and always served it for parties. It has a lot of the “layering” of flavors that I love and have adopted in my own cooking. My contribution was to make a layered casserole instead of rolled crepes and to experiment with part masa harina or cornmeal in the crepe batter.
Ingredients
- 24
Cornmeal Crepes - 1 ten-ounce package chopped frozen spinach or 1 pound fresh spinach, thoroughly rinsed in several waters
- ⅓ cup olive or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 medium-large white onion finely chopped (about ¾ cup), divided
- 1 eight-ounce can pickled jalapeños
- 1 pound boiled ham ground
- 1 pint sour cream
- Two 3-oz cans deviled ham
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- Salt optional
- 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Make crepes, stacking as they are done; reserve, covered with clean cloth.
- Cook spinach according to package directions and drain thoroughly. (If using fresh spinach, cook over high heat in tight-lidded pot, using only the water that clings to the leaves, just until wilted, 3-5 minutes; drain thoroughly and chop roughly with a heavy knife.) Squeeze spinach between your hands to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in medium skillet. Add garlic and most of chopped onion (reserve about ¼ cup to use later). Saute 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add spinach, toss to combine well, and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Drain and reserve juice from 1 eight-ounce can pickled jalapeños. Finely chop 3 pickled jalapeños (or more to taste). Combine ground ham, chopped jalapeños, and reserved juice. Set aside.
- Combine sour cream with deviled ham, chopped cilantro, and the rest of the chopped onion. If desired, add a little salt (but not if ham is strongly salty). If sour cream is very thick, thin the mixture with 1-2 tablespoons milk. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- To assemble the casserole, butter a 9- x l3-inch Pyrex baking dish (or other baking dish with sides about 2 inches high). Line bottom with 8 crepes. Spread with ⅓ of the sour cream mixture. Cover this with ½ of the ham mixture. Sprinkle ham with half the spinach. Cover spinach with ⅓ of the shredded cheese.
- Cover cheese with 8 more crepes and repeat the layering: ⅓ of sour cream mixture, ½ of ham mixture, ½ of spinach, ⅓ of the shredded cheese. For the final layer, add remaining 8 crepes and top with remaining sour cream and cheese.
- Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling.
Nutrition
Calories: 506kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 27gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 1665mgPotassium: 503mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5619IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 537mgIron: 3mg