Creamy Cheesy Spinach, Bacon, and Meat Pie

In middle school, we discovered through an unfortunate incident that I have an iron deficiency. For those of you who don't know what lacking in iron feels like, let's just say it's horrible. It's incredible how one vitamin can affect your whole body whether it be good or bad.

When you have no iron, you feel weak and tired. In my case, I can dip so low in iron on some days that I can actually pass out, and be so weak I can't move. Some people will have urges to eat dirt or starch. Your nails can become brittle (for those of us who grow out our real nails this is tragic!). You may not have an appetite, or look pale, and can even have poor circulation.

Mayo Clinic has a full list of symptoms and such, in case you might be saying: "Hey... that sounds like what happens to me." Might wanna talk to your doctor, my loves, lack of iron is no joke!

Anyway, I thought life was going to be pretty miserable when Mom said I was going to have to eat spinach. I don't remember actually eating spinach before this, but according to Pop-Eye, it was disgusting. In fact, I didn't even know what spinach was. Had no clue it was a leaf and great in salads and sandwiches.

I remember dreading dinner. But while mom was cooking, I remember drooling over the smell of bacon and hamburger meat. When dinner was presented, I was surprised.

It was a greenish-looking pie. With melted cheese on top. And when I took a bite, I was assaulted by the tastes of bacon, cheese, hamburger, and cream cheese. It was one of the best things that I ever put in my mouth. So much so that this spinach pie began to expand and take on the form of creamy spinach eggrolls, and different variations of this pie since I was a kid. It's fun to mix up the ingredients and try our new concoction as a family. It brought us together for holidays, special events, and even just on picnic-type days.

Now... the tables have turned. My mom has grown older, and she has Multiple Sclerosis, and she ails from several other diseases. Her body doesn't absorb her food properly and she finds that her tastebuds have changed. She doesn't like a lot of food anymore. So when she needs a pick-me-up, I'll make her this, not just for the iron boost, but because it's a comfort food now, and it always brightens her mood.

Ingredients for 4 8-inch pies

2 cans of cut spinach

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (room temperature!!!)

5 strips of thick-cut bacon *

2 lbs of hamburger meat **

8 oz of shredded cheese (I use cheddar or Colby jack, but mozzarella is also VERY good from experience - basically any cheese will do for this.)

1 can of whole-kernel sweet corn

2 cloves of garlic (or 2 tablespoons of pre-minced)

2 eggs (room temperature)

Spices that you prefer for the meat. Just something to add some zing and flavor to the hamburger meat while cooking), like Italian seasoning, or lemon pepper, whatever you like.

4 8-inch pie crusts ***

Notes

* Bacon is optional. But I very strongly suggest it. It can be turkey bacon if you prefer. Just make sure that it's cooked to a semi-crunchy state so it can be crumbled.

** Use lean meat for less grease. If you use a regular hamburger that greases up, make sure you drain it, and add the seasonings after you've drained most of the grease.

*** I use store-bought crusts because I don't have a proper pie pan - (yes, my love, my soul mate who is reading this because he's the best supportive soul mate in the world... this one is on my wish list) You can use a tart pan too [also on my wish list (^_~)] but they tend to be more shallow than pie pans.

For the spinach. I use the cans. But if you want to blanche or steam your own spinach for this, this turns out pretty good too. But in all honesty, using the canned kind is much easier and saves you a lot of time.

Directions:

First and foremost, open your cans of spinach and get them in a colander to drain, then preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then you gotta fry up that bacon and hamburger meat. I do both in one skillet, starting with the bacon. When the bacon is nice and crispy, I put it on a paper towel and let it cool, while I drain the grease (to save for gravy tomorrow morning for breakfast of course) and start frying the hamburger meat in the same pan. If my meat is greasy, I give it a good drain before I add my seasonings to it while it's still a little pink so that the flavors can cook in.

After the meat is cooked, you can literally just throw all of your ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Add the bacon, meat, cream cheese, eggs, about a cup of cheese, garlic, corn, and well-drained spinach in a large mixing bowl. The best way to mix a mixture like this is obviously a countertop mixer. If you don't have a countertop mixer, then your hands work better than a spoon. You want to make sure that the mixture is blended really well.

Listen. At this stage, it's going to look like baby poo. I'm not going to lie. Don't let any picky eaters into the kitchen for this part, because this doesn't LOOK good before it's baked.

After mixing it well, load up your pie crusts, so that the mixture is just a little bit taller than the crust, as it will shrink down a little bit. Bake it for 12 to 15 minutes. Pull them out of the oven put some more cheese on top of the pie, and bake for 5 to 8 more minutes.

Pull it out of the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting to serve. Allowing it to sit will help the creamy pie stay together while serving a little better.

This has been a staple in my family since I was young. It's a really easy meal to make. It can be a side dish or an entree. It has graced our holiday feasts as a beautiful savory dish. And even for an easy but soulful meal. It's fun to switch up the ingredients and see what tastes good in it. This is my personal favorite version of it, as it was the first version that mom ever made me.

This is the meal that changed my outlook on spinach forever. My one-year-old, three-year-old and five-year-old children love this (which is good because one of them has shown signs already of inheriting the iron issue) Its a hearty, soulful, with a southern feel. I don't think I've ever fed this recipe to anyone who didn't like it. Even avid spinach haters have found delight in this recipe.

For me, this recipe brings me back to family, as do most of the dishes that I got from my mom. The wholesome feeling I get when I make this for my family is when I see and hear their excitement when they know what I'm making. It's a feeling of love and connectedness. Nothing brings family together like good food, and I hope that by sharing this recipe, I'll have helped you bring yours together for good food and memories one day.

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