Before meeting my husband’s family, I would never have thought to use crepes for dinner. The crepes my mother made were always topped with maple syrup. That’s the Canadian way.
My mother-in-law, who is Argentinian from Italian descent, had different ideas. She would fill crepes with cream of corn, top it with pasta sauce and cheese. My sister-in-law, also Argentinian, would fill them with ricotta like manicotti.
The crepes bring the whole dish to a new level. The slightly sweet flavor of the crepes taste so much better than pasta and they are much easier to fill than manicotti tubes.
You can make this with just ricotta, spinach and herbs, but I like to add onions and mushrooms. I saute them in some butter until they are brown before adding them to the ricotta mix.
I also used fresh herbs in this recipe since I have had some success this summer with my little herb garden on my deck. But feel free to use dry herbs. Just remember 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 tsp dry herbs.
Now this recipe may take a lot of time, but it is worth it. You can make the crepes ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. I made mine the night before. You can also skip the cheesy white sauce, but I wouldn’t. I think it compliments it well.
Ricotta, Spinach, and Mushroom Filled Crepe
by The Sweet Chick
Prep Time: 30-40 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Keywords: bake entree crepes ricotta spinach mushroom
Ingredients (9 filled crepes)
For the crepes
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
For the filling
- 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms ( I used Baby Bella)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon butter/margarine
- 3 cups frozen spinach
- 1 container (8 oz.) ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, Italian blend, or Swiss)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the red sauce
- 1 jar (24 oz.) pasta sauce (I used Classico marina sauce)
For the cheesy white sauce
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons butter/margarine
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (mozarella, Italian blend, or Swiss)
Instructions
For the crepes
In a blender or with hand mixer, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Heat a medium sized nonstick skillet with flared sides over medium-high heat.
Remove from heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet; lift and tilt the skillet to spread batter evenly across bottom of skillet. Don’t worry if it is not a perfect circle. They will taste just the same.
Return to heat. Cook about 1 minute or until light brown.
Flip crepe with a spatula and cook the other side for about 30 seconds.
Cool crepe on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter.
For the filling
Heat a nonstick skillet on medium-high and add butter.
Once butter is melted, add onions and mushrooms. Saute until onions are a light golden brown and mushrooms are soft. Set aside.
In a microwaveable container, place the frozen spinach and place in microwave for 2-3 minutes until fully defrosted. Let is cool off.
Once it is cooled off, using a paper towel or a colander, squeeze out as much water as possible from the spinach.
In a medium sized bowl put in the ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese, and shredded cheese. Mix well. Then add the onions, mushroom, and spinach and mix again.
Next add the basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix until everything is well blended.
Take a crepe and fill the middle with about 3 tablespoons of the filling. Roll up the crepe like a tube and place in a 9 x 13 glass Pyrex dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes.
For the red sauce
Set oven for 350º F.
Once all filled crepes are in the dish, pour the entire jar of pasta sauce over the crepes. With the back of a large spoon, spread the sauce evenly over all the crepes. Place uncovered dish in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble.
For the cheesy white sauce
While the crepes are baking, in a small saucepan, combine milk and cornstarch and stir until dissolved. Add butter/margarine, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Slowly add shredded cheese and whisk until all cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
Then remove from heat, cover and set aside.
Once crepes are done baking, serve on a plate and pour a little (or a lot) white sauce over the crepes.
You can add some fresh crushed black pepper or grated parmesan on top. Voila, done. Enjoy!
Note
If you want to use dried herbs, just remember 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Update : This recipe was featured on Yummly.
