Popeye’s New Spinach Croquettes

Eat your vegetables! How many times does a kid have to hear that in a lifetime: 10, 1000? I have no idea what it is about green vegetables that turns a kid off. I never had a problem with it, but my sister did. I have spoken to many people who have the same issue with their children. That’s a problem, since dark leafy veggies are nutritional powerhouses. Spinach croquettes may help ease your children’s aversion to greens.

Kids love fried foods. I have yet to meet a child who doesn’t love McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A. The foods they love are all fried, and with the exception of perhaps Chick-fil-A’s chicken, there is little in fast-food meals that’s worth eating or putting into your kids. This recipe may get some of your picky eaters to try them.

While they are still green, the fried component is the enticing aspect. A little creativity in how you present the morsel might also help. If your children are drawn to the ghoulish or gross, call them swamp fritters. Make it fun. Tell the kids you mowed the yard and decided to make something with the clippings. You know what your children are into; find an angle and use it.

If you can get them to take a bite, they just may surprise you. These croquettes are good hot or cold. They never lasted in my house. Every time someone in my family went into the kitchen, they went to the fridge and grabbed one. That’s a crazy kind of cool.

As far as nutrition is concerned, the snack-sized fritter keeps most of its nutrients. Some are lost in the cooking process, but for the most part, the vitamins, fiber, and minerals remain. Some nutrients are actually absorbed better after the greens are cooked, which improves mineral absorption. Either way, you can at least get them to try them, and they may even love them.

While not a low-calorie food, the croquettes make up for it in nutrients. The eggs and milk also add extra protein, which adds to the snack too.

Let’s get to it.

This recipe makes a lot of croquettes, so feel free to halve it if you want fewer. You can also make them smaller for two-bite treats or larger for a side dish. I used a tablespoon to drop the mixture into the oil. Use whatever you like to adjust the size: a teaspoon, a cookie dough scoop, and so on.

Ingredients:

9 eggs- whisked

1–1/2 to 2 cups of milk (start with 1–1/2 and add if the batter is too thick)

2 cups flour

3 12-oz bags of frozen chopped spinach (don’t use whole leaves- it tends to be stringy, and that will not appeal to a child)

1/2 cup of grated cheese — optional(I usually use parmesan, but today I was out — I used grated cotija cheese instead, which did not change the taste in any way)

1–1/2 tsp of kosher salt

1/2 tsp black or white pepper

Oil for frying

Tools

Cast iron pan (preferred) or any deep skillet

Whisk or hand mixer

Slotted spoon, fork, or basket hand strainer

Large mixing bowl

Let’s cook:

Thaw the frozen spinach (no need to drain)

Crack your eggs into a large mixing bowl

Add the milk and whisk or mix

Add the flour half a cup at a time, the grated cheese, and mix well (no lumps)

The batter should be thick like pancake batter (water in the frozen spinach will thin it out a bit)

— Frozen bagged spinach has a much lower water content than the frozen blocks, which you would need to squeeze out.

Add the thawed spinach and blend well-no clumps of spinach that are not fully incorporated into the batter

Chill for 15 minutes or more. You can chill it for several hours, but I don’t recommend overnight.

Heat the oil in the cast iron pan or skillet on medium heat

When the oil is hot, drop a tablespoonful of the spinach batter into the oil.

The batter should begin to actively fry- if it sinks to the bottom and doesn’t begin to fry, wait until the oil heats some more. When it is hot enough, the one you just added will begin to fry as it should (see image). — the first one is the sacrificial lamb. I usually don’t eat that one if that’s what happens.

Depending on your pan size, you can cook 5, 6, or more at a time.

Fry for 3 minutes on one side, then gently flip them to the other side. — When you flip them, you are looking for a golden color, as pictured.

If they are too light, add a couple more minutes on the current side, then flip and cook for a couple more minutes on the other side.

When each batch is finished, remove the oil, let each one drain for a second, and lay them on paper towels to soak up extra oil or on a cookie rack to drain more.

Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. — Don’t overdo it. No one wants a salt lick. Flavor: yes. Ocean water salting: no!

Note:

Add salt right when you take them out of the oil so it sticks to the croquette. If you wait until they cool, it will literally bounce off them.

Side Story

My dad made these in our home. I always loved them. My sister, the finicky one, oddly enough, loved spinach this way too. When our dad would tell us he was making them, it was a reason to be excited. Weird, I know.

I told my sister that I was writing the recipe, and she asked me to send it to her. So that’s proof that even picky eaters can like spinach if it’s done right.

Let me know if you or your children enjoyed it.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, 2026)

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