Slow-Cooker Spanakopita Frittata Sandwiches

I closed on a beautiful home in Westchase this week. The buyers — a young couple, first-timers — looked at the keys the way I looked at my real estate license in 2012: like they were holding the future in their hands.

Sophia is researching dental schools with an intensity that would concern me if it were directed at anything other than dentistry. She talked about it at dinner for twenty minutes and I understood approximately half of it but all of the joy behind it.

Some weeks are ordinary. This was an ordinary week. I sold houses. I cooked dinner. I called Mama. I drove to Tarpon Springs on Sunday. The extraordinary thing about ordinary weeks is that they are the ones you miss most when they are gone.

I made youvetsi — lamb stew with orzo baked until the pasta absorbed all the tomato sauce and the lamb fell apart. The kitchen smelled like cinnamon. Sophia ate 2 servings and said nothing, which means it was good. Alexander ate 3 and asked for more. The pan was empty by nine. Empty pans are the highest form of flattery in this kitchen.

The weeks pass and I am learning that life at 45 is not what I expected at twenty-five. It is messier, harder, more beautiful. The moussaka is better because my hands have made it more times. The career is stronger because the failures taught me what the successes could not. And the love — the love I pour into every dish, every showing, every Sunday drive to Tarpon Springs — is bigger now because I have lost enough to know what it costs.

The youvetsi emptied the pan by nine, and that is the kind of result that makes you want to stay in the kitchen all week. This slow-cooker spanakopita frittata is what I make the morning after a good week — spinach, feta, dill, eggs poured over everything and left to set while I get dressed and answer emails and feel, briefly, like I have it all figured out. It tastes like Tarpon Springs on a Sunday. It tastes like Mama’s kitchen in the best possible way.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 crusty sandwich rolls or thick slices of bread, toasted
Sliced tomatoes and Kalamata olives, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the slow cooker. Brush the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker generously with olive oil. Line the bottom and sides with a single sheet of parchment paper, leaving some overhang to help lift the frittata out later.
Build the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth. Stir in the drained spinach, feta, ricotta, scallions, garlic, dill, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
Fill and cook. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared slow cooker. Place a double layer of paper towels under the lid to absorb condensation. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the center is just set and the edges are pulling away from the sides.
Rest and slice. Turn off the heat and let the frittata rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift it onto a cutting board. Slice into 6 wedges or rectangles to fit your rolls.
Assemble the sandwiches. Tuck each frittata portion into a toasted roll. Top with sliced tomatoes and a few Kalamata olives if you like. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow-Cooker Spanakopita Frittata Sandwiches — The Greek Kitchen Never Sleeps