Spinach Mushroom Casserole With Potato Purée

Step 1: Cook The Potato Purée

1. Peel, wash, and cut the potatoes into cubes. Boil them in a pan with enough water to just about cover them with a bit of salt
2. After about 10 minutes, check to see if the potatoes are cooked using a knife or fork When the potatoes are soft, drain the water and return the potatoes to the same pan. While the potatoes are still steaming hot, puree the potatoes using a potato masher.
3. Finally add two tablespoons of butter, salt, and one cup of warm milk to the potatoes and mash until a uniform consistency is achieved

Step 2: Prepare The Spinach and Mushrooms Layer

1. Dice big onion into small cubes
2. Wash and clean the mushroom and cut into slices. Wash and clean the spinach, take the big stems out and chop them roughly
3. Sauté the onion with olive oil in a wide pan until it turns lightly brown
4. Once the onions are lightly browned, add the sliced mushrooms, keeping the stove on medium-high heat. It is important not to lower the heat, otherwise, mushrooms can release too much juice. Stir from time to time to ensure even cooking.
5. When the mushrooms are cooked through and there is not much juice in the pan, add the chopped spinach. Season with some salt, fresh ground black pepper, and/or red pepper flakes and stir carefully from time to time until the spinach wilts

Step 3: Cook The Béchamel Sauce

1. To a saucepan on low medium heat, add the olive oil/butter and the flour and stir continuously until you get a nice smell (indicating the flour is not raw anymore) and the color changes from white to slightly golden
2. Gradually add the milk to the pan, stirring continuously using a whisk until it thickens. Season with salt and nutmeg
3. Turn off the heat after it is thickened and bubbling. If it thickens too much you can add a bit more milk to play with the consistency.

Bringing this Spinach Mushroom Potato Casserole Together

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C
2. Add the béchamel sauce to the spinach and mushroom mixture and check the seasoning (salt, black pepper) and adjust to taste.
3. Put the mashed potato in an oven-safe dish, pressing it down gently to make the first layer. On top of the mashed potato layer, put the spinach, mushroom, and béchamel sauce layer and spread evenly
4. Sprinkle a layer of freshly grated kaṣar or mozzarella cheese
5. Put the dish into the oven and just watch how beautifully it bakes
6. When you have a golden crust on your dish, turn off the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes
7. Serve and enjoy! Afiyet Olsun!
8. I hope you give this delicious winter dish a try. Please let me know how it turns out