Easy Side Dish Idea: Spicy, Garlic Spinach Recipe

Need a healthy side dish loaded with flavor that is ready in about minutes?  A simple bunch of fresh spinach is wilted with spicy pepperoncini and garlic to create a great side dish for chicken, pork or seafood.  This spinach side dish is also wonderful as a stuffing for chicken or pork or even a rolled, flank steak.   Spicy Spinach makes the perfect entry for letter S in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Ingredients for Spicy, Garlic Sauteed Spinach:

2 tsp. Butter

2 tsp. Olive Oil

¼ c. Green Onions, Chopped

1 c. Chopped Mushrooms

1 Pound of Fresh Spinach

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 Tbsp. Jarred Pepperoncini, Chopped (more or less to taste)

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions for Spicy, Garlic Sauteed Spinach:

Saute the vegetables.  Heat Butter and Oil in a Large Skillet.  Add the green onions and mushrooms.  Saute the mushrooms and onion until nearly tender.  Add a few handfuls of spinach, the garlic and pepperoncini.  We use chopped whole pepperoncini--including seeds.  If you prefer less spicy heat, remove the seeds from the pepperoncini before chopping.  Sauté until the spinach wilts—adding remaining spinach as each batch of spinach wilts down. 

Stir in the Parmesan Cheese and serve.  We love this side dish stuffed into Greek seasoned pork chops or rolled up into a steak.  It is loaded with spicy flavors—and adds a healthy punch to a meal in hardly no time at all!  It is shown in the photo above with our favorite rice pilaf and artichoke stuffed chicken breasts.