Spinach and kale aren’t just for salads & smoothies! These delectable and pop-able Spinach & Kale Bites will have you getting your greens with gusto!
Did you watch the Muppet Show when you were a kid? Who was your favorite character? Fozzie? Sam the Eagle? Gonzo? To be honest, I liked them all. From week to week I’d change my mind. If Pigs in Space was included that week, Miss Piggy went to the top of the list. If the band was playing, Animal was the one to beat (Get it? “Beat”? I crack myself up.). But I think we can all agree that Kermit was the one we all loved, pulled for, and then inched closer to the television screen when he sang his signature song, “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Green”. Ah, the comforting memories of childhood.
Now, I realize that disagreeing with someone of Kermit’s celebrity and acclaim may not be a popular thing to do. But I admit that while I may not have liked a lot of green things as a kid (I HATED all veggies for a very long time), I’ve come to love that bright color; the healthy and tasty implication of anything with that bright green sheen on bushy, fresh leaves. Hard to pass up, especially when I’m wandering the local farmer’s market. I mean, could YOU pass up beauties like these?
So on a trip to the Pearl Brewery Farmer’s Market (my favorite market when we lived in San Antonio), I happened upon some beautiful and GREEN spinach and kale. There are only 2 of us in the house, so of course when I got home I realized that I was going to have to get creative to use up that fresh bounty before it wilted and went bad. I remembered seeing some frozen spinach & kale bites on a recent trip to the grocery store. I also remember thinking to myself “I can make those!” and then promptly forgot about them. Until the mound of greens arrived in my kitchen, that is.
I did a little poking around at various websites for similar recipes and starting creating my own version based on the flavors that I usually like with both spinach and kale. After a little tinkering, I scored big with this recipe. These healthy and flavorful green bites were a hit at a recent girls’ night, and again at a neighborhood get together. Everyone was asking for the recipe. So since I’m a giver, I hustled to get this recipe prepped and ready to share with the world!
After you make these ridiculously simple and delicious bites, you’ll agree that it IS, in fact, easy bein’ green. I even think Kermit may change his tune with these Spinach & Kale Bites!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15 minutes |
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I was so surprised when these came out so well. In fact, a friend's kiddos even started sneaking them. They loved 'em! What a great way to get some healthy greens into the kiddos! They also freeze beautifully, so if you make a double batch, stick them in the freezer and pull them out when you need a quick appetizer. Your guests will be only too happy to pop these Spinach & Kale Bites until they're gone!
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- 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 4 cups fresh kale leaves, stems removed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup fat free skim ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Rinse & dry the spinach & kale. Dice onions & garlic.
- Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle with olive oil. When oil is hot, add onions and saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add garlic and saute additional 2 minutes.
- Add spinach & kale to skillet. Stir carefully until greens begin to wilt. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until greens are completely wilted but still bright green. Remove from heat.
- Place spinach, kale, onion & garlic mixture into food processor.
- Pulse until ingredients are incorporated with the onions & garlic, but are not quite a paste mixture.
- Place greens mixture into large mixing bowl along with ricotta cheese, egg, and 1 cup of bread crumbs; add salt & pepper to taste.
- Mix ingredients until a stiff mixture is the result.
- Roll mixture into 1 1/2 - 2 inch balls; roll each bite in remaining 1 cup panko crumbs. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the panko begins to brown slightly.
- Serve immediately. While they are awesome on their own, you can get creative with dipping sauces as well. Try marinara, bbq sauce, or a teriyaki sauce. So may combos, all green and tasty!
If you have extra, you can also allow the bites to cool completely and freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove from freezer and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Reheat at 300 degree for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Other variations on flavors I've used include adding leeks or green onions. I plan to try adding some red bell peppers the next time for additional color and a different depth of flavor.
What adaptations would YOU make to these yummy Spinach & Kale Bites?
These look delicious! I love spinach flavor and I bet it tastes incredible here!
These bites looks so good! Love that they are so full of nutrition!
I love to learn kale recently and posted some recipes with kale! This looks fantastic!