ITALIAN SPINACH BRAID

Italian Spinach Braid image

"I've been making this recipe for over 25 years. It's how I got my kids to eat spinach when they were little. This is the dish I'm asked to make the most." Pat Jasper - Northlake, Illinois

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 40m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
3/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon fennel seed
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, beaten
Pizza sauce, optional

Steps:

Roll dough into a 12x9-in. rectangle. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a large bowl; add the spinach, cheeses, garlic, fennel seed, oregano and salt., Spread beef mixture lengthwise down the center of dough. On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips 3 in. into center., Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 366 calories, Fat 12g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 57mg cholesterol, Sodium 709mg sodium, Carbohydrate 38g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 6g fiber), Protein 30g protein.