Parmesan Spinach Balls

I tried this recipe for a church finger food luncheon. It was well received and several people asked for the recipe. I also had a couple of people say they don't care for spinach but heard others saying how good they were so they tried them and they loved them too. I did follow several of the suggestions offered by other members. I thawed and squeezed dry the spinach before beginning. I cut the Italian bread crumbs to 1 cup. I used one med. yellow onion (instead of the green onions) and 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauteed those in the 1/2 cup butter. I also took another recommendation and added about 1/3 cup of crumbled bacon. I made them no larger than 1 inch and they took every bit of 30 minutes to achieve the light brown. They weren't over cooked in the center at all. They were no where close to being done at 15 minutes. I'd definitely make these again. They were delicious and very well received. But for me they took considerably longer to make and considerably longer to bake than stated in the menu. Partially due to my additions. No matter. They're worth the time either way!

This was super easy to thow together, but I felt it need a little bit more flavor so I added 3-4 cloves of mnced garlic and 1 tsp of cyanne and it gave this recipe the extra flavor and kick it needed.

These were a huge hit at the party! I cut back on the bread crumbs, added garlic and onion powder, cayenne and some yellow onion. I took LGRIER514's advice and rolled the balls into more parm. I served this with a marina sauce and a sweet honey mustard sauce. Excellent and healthy too Tish!

These are pretty good. I made a batch of them on Friday night for Valentine's Day hors d'oeuvres and only baked a small amount. My husband and I really enjoyed them. I froze the rest for a dinner party this week. I added some cayenne and garlic powder to this recipe and rolled them in fresh grated parmesan before baking as suggested. I didn't serve a dipping sauce, but I have some pizza sauce left in my refrigerator that I'm going to heat up for my company this week. I'm going to pull them out of the freezer in advance so they'll thaw since I don't know if I can bake them frozen or not. Very easy, and definitely a keeper for the freezer. -- P.S. I pulled them out of the freezer the other night and let them defrost before baking them for my guests. I find that either fresh or defrosted, they need 15 minutes to cook. They were fabulous, and all of my guests loved them!

Pretty good base, but I spruced it up a little. I used only 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, added garlic, 1 T hot sauce, 1 cup sour cream and sauteed 1 cup onion in the butter. I also added some chopped artichoke hearts. I didn't add salt and used only 3 eggs. It gave it much more flavor!

I made my own variation of these. I only used 1 cup of bread crumbs. I sauteed with the butter 3 cloves of garlic. I also added lots of crumbled bacon. I added extra Parmesan cheese, a little paprika, and hot sauce. These are absolutely fantastic!

My husband and I loved these. I only had plain bread crumbs so I added some italian herbs (oregano, thyme, basil). I took the advise of other reviewers and sauted some garlic and yellow onion in the butter and omitted the green onion. These smelled wonderful while they were baking. I took them to a potluck of about 40 people, but few people ate them. A friend of mine (who ate 6) said people just didn't know what they were. Next time I'll label them. This made my husband happy, though, because he got to eat the left-overs. These things were terrific and my friends don't know what they missed

I love this recipe and all the modifications others have made to suit their tastes. Here's what we do: I double the frozen spinach to four 10oz. packages (for more spinach flavor). Substitute 1 cup of the bread crumbs with 1 cup of blanched almond flour (for lower carbs) and add some extra Italian seasoning to that. Use 1/4 cup of finely diced white or yellow onion instead of green onion and use 2 whole eggs plus 2 x-lrg egg whites (for less sat fat). I think the butter adds the richness needed, so I leave that as is. I don't usually add garlic, b/c I don't want to saute anything for this easy recipe, but I have added garlic raw and a little goes a long way. A little fresh grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp) is wonderful in this as well. I usually cook up a few for our meal that day and then roll out the rest onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze (uncooked) individually on that. Once frozen I transfer them to a freezer bag. They cook up beautifully from frozen in 25 minutes. Great to have on hand when company arrives unexpected. Will have to try them with the recommended Sangiovese, but have served with Sauvignon Blanc very successfully. I have made this recipe as written and they are fabulous. But the beauty of them is that they CAN be modified quite successfully to your tastes. Don't pass this one up!

These were very easy to make and very tasty. Based on other reviews, I reduced the amount of breadcrumbs and added some spices (basil, oregano, garlic powder) to liven them up. My boyfriend thought they were a little dry, but everyone else liked them quite a bit. I served these at a party, and we all discovered we liked them even more with ranch dip - I bet they would be particularly tasty with marinara sauce!

I have been making this for years and it is always a hit. To make them a little easier to serve and eat, I put one straight, thin pretzel in the middle of each ball.

I would have given this recipe 4 stars if it had been me who liked it! I made this the other day for a finger food social night, but wasn't impressed when I tried it for myself, so I wasn't going to take it. My hubby tried it and liked it as did my son so I decided to take it and they really liked it and asked for the recipe! Maybe my taste buds were just off that day - I don't know, but it was definitely easy to make (but a bit messy) and quick also.

This recipe was hit at my last party! would definitely make it again, I also added some garlic & cayenne pepper to give them a kick :-)

I was looking for an appetizer to serve in parmesan baskets and someone on the Recipe Buzz recommended these to me. I'm so glad they did, because they were simple and yummy! At first bite, I wasn't sure, but then I couldn't stop eating them! I did add a spoonful of minced garlic and a dash of cayenne for a little kick (and I'll add a little more next time). I froze some for future easy appetizers. THANKS, tish, for a nice appetizer!

I did not taste these, but they were very well received by my guests. I followed the recipe as written, except I used 1/2 tsp. of onion powder instead of the green onion. Cute, quick, and tasty, what more could you ask for? I served these with marinara sauce and ranch dressing. The marinara is the winner for sure. I would definitely make these again for a party, thank you for sharing :)

I made these with seasoned boxed stuffing mix and cooked fresh spinach. I rolled the cooked spinach in dish towel to get the extra moisture out after it was cooked and let the hot spinach melt the butter.I took them to a party with my favorite dip. Made with mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste. Everything was enjoyed by all. Most people hate to try things that look different so I had to put a sign by them.

I had this exact recipe except for the addition of 1/4 cup of marsala, sherry or other white wine. Like others, I cut down on the amount of crumbs. And I sauted the onion, with some garlic (about 3 cloves, pressed), the wine and the spinach. Then cool that before going ahead with the other ingredients and shaping the balls. I serve it with a Dijon sauce. My friend always uses a marinara or bolognese sauce for dipping.

I was very worried to make these for Xmas Eve due to the very mixed reviews! However, I don't have words for what a big hit these were! Everyone absolutely raved about them! They flew off the table! I made them ahead and froze them and they came out beautiful!! I also added a little bit of hot sauce! Don't listen to the bad reviews and just go ahead and make them!! 5 Stars!!

This recipe was a hit! Next time i would use a little less parmesan, it tasted very cheesy to me.

I made these spinach balls for Mothers Day. I followed everything to a tee except I added 2 cloves of garlic and used white onion instead of green (per suggestions here). I made them and rolled them in parmesan cheese. I mixed dijon mustard and mayo for a dipping sauce. I had them all wrapped and refridgerated and was cleaning up the kitchen. I opened the microwave and there was the 1/2 cup of melted butter! Oops, the recipe still turned out great. In fact I think the butter would have made them too runny. Also, I saved a lot of unnecessary calories!

I just took these out of the oven and they're disappearing so fast I took time to post a review now. I took other reviewers suggestions and modified the recipe a bit: used parmesan, freshly grated, and mozarella. I used all of the frozen spinach, but left it a bit damp. I decreased the bread crumbs to 1 1/2 cups. My Italian crumbs were locally made Panko, and they're really garlicky, so I used a cup of those and a half cup plain. Used just 1/2 (large) onion, since the bread crumbs are so highly flavored. No salt, because good parmesan is quite salty. I'll find out soon how they are with the marinara--can't stop eating them long enough to heat it up! Another "goldilocks" recipe- not too dry, or too wet, at least the way I made them. :) Thanks, other reviewers, and thanks so much, tish!!

I make this exact same recipe except I use herb stuffing mix instead of bread crumbs. It's an old Bon Appetite recipe I love. Tried it with breadcrumbs and like the stuffing method a little better.

these are great!!! i served them as a side dish ... the dh really liked them...i used fresh spinach from my garden (more than the recipe called for but not exactly sure how much) and used panko crumbs and added garlic powder, marjoram, oregano and basil to them...used fresh grated parm cheese and a combo of evoo and margarine instead of butter and didn't add any salt...well they turned out really good and i really liked them...will forsure make them again...the dh recommended next time i make them i should add grated old cheddar cheese and bacon bits...i just might try that...thanks for sharing this recipe

These are GREAT!!! I have been making these for years!!! PLUS........they freeze and reheat well -- I always make ahead, esp for a party. I usually serve them from a chafer along w/ a little dish of mustard sauce. One of my favs!!!!!!!!!

These are an excellent appetizer. I formed the mixture into balls and then froze half of them. They tasted just as good weeks later out of the freezer.

These turned out just okay for me. I didn't think that they had too much flavor. I expected more flavor considering all of the ingredients that went into them. I also didn't think that they baked well enough. They didn't get that brown on the top and the center seemed to be not cooked as much as it should be.

Pretty easy to make and everyone loved them. I thought they were alittle dry, but I had 4 people ask for the recipe.

These are scrumptious! We had these as a side for dinner and they went over very well. Next time I will play around with the ingredients; adding other veggies and maybe even using whole wheat bread crumbs instead. I broiled them for a bit at the end to get a good crunch on the outside. Consider this a new favorite for us, thanks "tish"!

Tried these for an Xmas buffet and although an easy appetizer to prepare and freeze, we found they lacked an impressionable flavor. The three kids (under 2 yrs old) there though, enjoyed them tremendously. *Great* way to get your kids to enjoy spinach, and they did freeze excellently, just weren't a memorable addition to the buffet for the work it took to make them.

Another big winner--everyone asks me for the recipe--I admit I did change it a little, though...I reduced the bread crumbs by..a 1/2 cup (I think) and I added two cloves of garlic

This is a tasty appetizer. For anyone who did not like it, try using 5 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs,large sweet onion,diced, SHREDDED Parmesan (gives better texture). Substitute 10 tablespoons of MARGARINE for the butter. Also adding a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper kicks it up a notch!!! Don't make the balls to big. Cook 20 minutes. Vary the cheese. Asiago is good too. Kraft has SHREDDED Parmesan Romano and Asiago in one of their "green jars," try that as variation. Be Creative until you find the combo you like. Don't give up---keep trying!!!

These are good but I am going back to my old standby recipe, Stove Top Spinach Balls. I think the bread crumbs dry this one out.

i made these for a party as well and all of my guest loved them. i made a ton, and froze a batch before i cooked them. they came in handy for another party. i would definitely recomment them...i am surprised at those who wouldn't.

Just made these for a dinner party. I made little Parmesan bowls for them. They made a delightful presentation. To increase the flavors, I added some shrimp (about 2 handfulls of tiny bay shrimp) and chopped up 2 strips of bacon. Since I had it, I tossed in a bit of the grease. I also only used 16 oz of spinach. I used the frozen variety in the bag, not the Brick-O-Spinach. It was very yummy and worth making again. :)

Super recipe!!!!! These were a big hit at Sunday Potluck. I had to make a few changes because I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand … only one box of Spinach, but I threw in about ¼ lb. of sage sausage to compensate. I only had plain breadcrumbs, so I added some Italian seasoning, with a bit of Turmeric, Thyme, salt and pepper. I also grated up some fresh Parmesan cheese, about ¼ cup. I sautéed half of a sweet onion and three cloves of garlic in the butter, before adding it. Due to the reviews I added the bread crumbs slowly until the mix felt “right”, to keep it from being too dry, it was probably closer to 1 ½ cup or so. I also rolled them in more Parmesan before placing them on the cookie sheet. I cooked them 10 minutes, flipped them, then cooked them another 10 minutes and they were perfectly done throughout. My husband kept coming through and sneaking a few at a time, I finally had to banish him from the kitchen!!!

I really love these. Make sure you don't squeeze every single bit of moisture from the spinach, or the balls will come out too dry. I also tend to bake for 3 more minutes, as they don't seem quite cooked without this. Otherwise, this is a great recipe - I bring it to all pot luck parties I go to!

I did NOT care for this recipe at all and neither did my party guests. We had plenty of leftovers of these gems which the dogs wouldn't even eat! Sorry!

Kids wouldn't eat them, unfortunately. Use cracked whole wheat & italian seasonings in place of bread crumbs to make healthier.

This is always a hit and it's so simple to do. I leave out the green onion, cut the bread crumbs to 1 1/2 cups, and add 1 tsp italian seasoning (Epicure Pasta spice, to be exact) to keep it flavourful.

I have made these many times for all kinds of parties, and they always dissapear. People are always asking me for the recipe. My favorite thing about these is that they taste just as good at room tempature so you don't have to worry about keeping them warm. You can also make them ahead of time.

These are wonderful. Served them at a party and their were no leftovers. Give the recipe to my sister and she loved them too!

easy, tasty, and fun

After I read other users' reviews, I figured these balls needed a sauce to be served with. I wrapped the spinach & parmesan mixture around feta dices, baked the balls for 15-20 minutes and served them with homemade tomato sauce. Guests were quite impressed! Next time, I might try wrapping the mixture around mozzarella balls or dices or crumbling feta in the mixture, or add a little bit of ricotta in the mixture. I will make them again, for sure!

I was disappointed because they tasted too much like the breadcrumbs. I would use less breadcrumbs and be sure to make very small (less than 1 inch) balls. I also would add cayenne pepper

These are absolutely fabulous! I have made them time and time again and I always get compliments on them. They hold up well in a chafing dish and are the perfect bite size appetizer. Thanks!

These were EXCELLENT! I didn't change anything other than halving the original recipe! Thank you!

My family loves them. We make them every year Christmas eve and eat them while opening presents. I always add some shredded Mozzarella cheese to the recipe.

Flavor was somewhat bland. Poor consistency made it difficult for the balls to stay together. Has good potential with modifications.

I have made this recipe so many times over the years. The people who are tweaking or changing this recipe are missing out on a little gem. Sometimes less is more. This recipe is perfect as is, people. Good eats!

My grandma always made spinach balls using a high quality stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farms) but I like this recipe more! Next time, I would decrease the bread crumbs a little. I also added chopped garlic and cayenne as recommended by others. If you don't like spicy foods, perhaps thyme would be a great addition instead. The cook time was perfect; you should only expect the underside to end up browned. The only downfall is that they taste great fresh out of the oven but when the sit on an appetizer table, they end up cold and untouched. Overall, will make again.

Easy to make but did not get much attention at our progressive dinner.

These were good. They probably would have been better with the addition of some garlic like others had done. I made them exactly as written until it came to baking them. The first batch I baked like the recipe says and was disappointed b/c they seemed to flat out. So for the 2nd batch I decided to deep fry them @ 375 in peanut oil for about 2 mins or until they were golden brown. They looked alot better. I will be making these again b/c everyone seemed to like them even without a dipping sauce. Next time I might add some chopped fresh jalapeno also. Thanks!

Made these as written and they are okay. The only thing that really made me want to eat them was serving a really good artichoke marinara sauce with them for dipping. We had leftovers, so I used them as "meatballs" in baked spaghetti and that was pretty tasty--better than as an appetizer alone in my opinion. If I make them again, I'll definitely spice them up a bit!

I've made a similar recipe and served it with spaghetti sauce as a side dish. It's a great way to use up leftover rice. My recipe came from a Woman's Day 2009.

Tasty and interesting, but a little dry. I will make with more butter next time.

These are good! I only changed a couple things ;) I sautéed a small white onion in minced garlic and olive oil (substituted for green onion and butter). I also used Pepperidge Farm Herb seasoned stuffing instead of bread crumbs. I served them with marinara sauce. Very good!

I made these for an appetizer for guests. They loved it and so did I. I served it with French's honey mustard. I love the idea of making some to have in the freezer for a quick treat later! Very, very good!!!

I made this for a big party. I did the prep the day before and pulled it out to bake the day of. They disappeared. Maybe a little less butter could be used.

I made these the other night and my husband loved them. I used Pepper Jack cheese instead of parmesan and minced onion(forgot to get green onions at the supermarket. We dipped them in the Horseradish Dipping Sauce from this site. Great combination! I'll be making them again for the holidays.

Wonderful! You MUST use seasoned bread crumbs, however. Otherwise, these taste pretty bland. I freeze these in ice cube trays, pop them out into a freezer bag, and then cook them up to serve with lunches for my kids.

Really good way to get spinach, even if you don't like it! Next time, we will try the mustard dip with it! Highly recommended.

Fantastic toddler food recipe! I only rated it 4 stars because I did have to tweak the recipe, ever so slightly.

I tried this recipe on Thanksgiving everybody loved them we picked at them all day. Their was one comment that came up often this could use dipping sauce. I drew a blank. Anyone have any any ideas?

My mom made these for a football game and they weren't a huge hit with our family. I'm reviewing on her behalf because she doesnt write reviews. She satueed onion and garlic in butter and added cayenne, garlic powder and a little salt to the mixture. They were very dry and just okay, not much taste. She is going to try the leftovers with marina sauce & pasta but as of now she said she wont make them again.

These were okay. I made them with fresh spinach instead of frozen and maybe that was part of the problem. I think they'd be better if you added pinenuts or something to give them a little crunch. They were a little too mushy. The mustard dipping sauce was essential to their taste. I mixed 1/2 dijon mustard with 1/2 honey and the sauce turned out really well.

These were okay - the taste was good, but my family was put off by the texture.

These were awesome. I took others advice and sauted regular onions and some garlic. I also added some a bit of crumbled bacon and cayenne pepper. Cooked them probably 22 minutes.

I LOVED THESE. they're not gourmet or anything, but they're just perfect bites of spinach. not too much cheese or breadcrumbs..delish! Dipped them in marinara for fun. Made mine small, per pp, about a rounded teaspoon, slightly larger. Baked for 30 min...PERFECT

Great recipe - followed it exactly, and everyone loved it, especially the guys. Only two notes: mix the mash with your hands, otherwise it's too stiff to get it well combined. Also, I made the them a little larger - golf ball size -- and let them bake a few minutes longer. Super yummy!!

My mom made this recipe 20 years ago for my high school graduation. These are wonderful. But we use Pepperidge Farms herbed stuffing mix (blue bag) in place of the bread crumbs - this gives it a little more flavor. And finely chopped regular onions work just as well. Great recipe!!

These are one of my new go-to appetizers.

Thanks for the awesome recipe, Tish! Followed recipe to the T the first time, 2nd time tweeked to my personal taste: followed recipe, but instead I used: 1 c. bread crumbs, chopped 3/4 can of artichoke hearts, sauted 1/4 c yellow onion (didn't have green) in the butter, 2 egg whites, crumbled 3 slices of precooked bacon (nuked for about 30 seconds) then followed cooking instructions. Got rave reviews at our Chirstmas party! Thanks Tish!

I absolutely love these! They were a hit at my party and meat-eaters and vegetarians alike enjoyed them!

These are great. I have made these a long time ago and I lost thew recipe. I am so happy to stummble apon it again. I do it a bit different though. I use 1/2 a yellow onion. sauteed with 2 cloves of garlic. 2 tsp garlic powder and 2 tsp Italian seasoning because I used regular bread crumbs.

Took these for Thanksgiving appetizer along with Spinach Feta Ball from this site and both were a hit. Did not use green onion, forget to pick them up. I used only 1.5 cups bread crumbs, seasoned type. I mixed everything together except the eggs and tasted the mixture for salt and flavor. I found it quite good even without the green onion, not sure they are needed. Also used 1/2 cup grated cheese from shaker can and 1/2 c of freshly grated from the deli section of supermarket and added a couple of shakes of onion powder & garlic powder then added the eggs. Baked mine about 30 minutes total. These would be good with other cheese as well so mix and match as you will.

These were great! Even my kids (5, 3, and 1 year-old) loved them. Great way to get kids to eat veggies, and I thought they were delicious, too. I did use slightly less breadcrumbs than called for. It took exactly 15 minutes, and they were perfectly done.

Added bacon and I thought it came out too salty. Did not need the egg and could have used Austin's butter and he could have eaten them, Try it next time.

I made these along with a thin spaghetti sauce. They actually taste like meat balls! Great healthy substitute. I added some chopped artichoke hearts to mine. Yum. I will definitely suggest this recipe to my vegetarian friends.

I make these all the time. I use stuffing mix instead of bread crumbs, but otherwise this is the same recipe. YUM! They also freeze well!

I love spinach balls and they can be eaten cold or hot! Very Yummy! Even your little ones and picky eaters will enjoy this!

I followed the suggestion of others and cut the amount of bread crumbs in half. I also added a clove of crushed garlic and used shredded parmesan cheese. I made the balls a day ahead, then popped them in the oven shortly before my guests arrived.

These tasted OK when I tried them. However, I started feeling sick later on. Would not make these again, I guess the overall flavor was not as good as I hoped it would be.

Went over very well at friends' Thanksgiving as well as reall Thanksgiving (2009). Many were left over and frozen and Cari was still eating them a year later.

These were a nice fresh addition to our super bowl party, but i felt they lacked the flavor I was looking for as the recipe is written. They definately need a good dipping sauce.

I really liked these, and I didn't even have any dip with them. I sauteed minced fresh garlic with the onion and fresh spinach, then proceeded to follow recipe. I can't wait to try these with sauce.

I made these for a party for my fiance's sister. His family is Greek and they are all wonderful cooks, and they were very impressed with my spinach balls. People I didn't even know were coming up to me asking for the recipe! You were right, they are a hit! I made one slight change, or I guess an addition, to the recipe. As I formed the mix into balls, I rolled the balls in more parmesan cheese. Next time I'm going to use feta cheese too and I'll let you know how that turns out!

Very good! Great Choice for "finger food!" It tastes a bit like spinach quiche - without the crust!

I was SHOCKED when I found this recipe here! This is the exact recipe I remember from 20 years ago when I first had it as a young newly married woman! I had since lost the recipe in a move, and was VERY happy to have found it. Just made it this past weekend for an anniversary party, and they were a hit, from grandparents to my little two year old! THANKS!!!

They were good but I found them a little dry. Maybe next time I would cut back in the breadcrumbs

I made these exactly as recipe. I served them with my red pasta sauce for dipping & a mustard dip also. I was having a large family re-union with Italian food & this was the perfect accompanying appetizer. Easy to make, lots of them & still gone before I knew it.

This was added to our Thanksgiving table this year, and I must say it is an excellent (and incredibly easy) recipe!

I really loved these. They were so easy. It made a lot. They taste great reheated. I will definatly make again.

I wanted to serve these for my Christmas Eve Party so I decided to try them ahead of time to see how they were, I must say I have to make more everyone loved them in my family, even my kids.

This was certainly easy but I didn't like them at all and I usually love anything with spinach! Maybe I should have cut down on the bread crumbs as others suggested...I just didn't like the flavor or the texture. Perhaps I'll try them again later with some modifications.

yummy yummy

Fantastic. I followed the recipe to a T. They were actually even better the second day. Easy to make too.

These came out wonderful but they did take longer to bake than the instructions said. The second time I was pressed for time and my kids wanted them to be cheesier so I added half a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and I fried them and they came out even better. They are more healthy in the oven but fried is better if you don't have the time or the oven is filled. Great Super Bowl yummies!!

I did not care for this recipe.

Well hate to be critical but they were not my favorite...I added spices to make sure it was not bland...but it was. I think though...those that are vegetarians would love this, so highly reccommend this for them and will make this for my vegitarian friends.

I did have to half the breadcrumbs and add some garlic. I did like it but I think I would have liked it better if I fried it...didnt get any crisp to it. Also I would chop up the spinach more.