Potluck Weekend

Two potlucks this weekend! Got rave reviews on our dishes for both:

Spud & Spinach Casserole
5 large potatoes, milk, butter (for mashing)
2~3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 large bunches fresh spinach
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 stalks green onion, sliced (green part only)
paprika for seasoning
the basics: olive oil, salt, ground black pepper

(1) Peel and boil potatoes; mash with milk, butter and salt to taste
(2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
(3) In large skillet, heat olive oil medium low. Add garlic and onion, then saute until soft
(4) Add spinach and saute until just wilted
(5) Stir in ground pepper to taste
(6) Now the casserole part: spread mashed potatoes in lightly greased 9x12 inch baking dish
(7) Cover with sauteed spinach mix. Layer cheddar cheese on top, then sprinkle feta and paprika on top
(8) Bake 20-25 minutes until hot and cheeses have melted
(9) Garnish with green onion

Lemon Cheesecake Squares
Crust:
9 whole graham crackers
5 tablespoons butter
Filling:
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
berries of your choice for garnish (my personal favorite is raspberries)

Crust:
(1) Prep 8x8x2 baking pan by lining 2 sheets of aluminum foil inside the pan, one lengthwise, the other crosswise. Leave about 1 inch overhang on all four sides.
(2) Once pan is lined with foil, grease foil along bottom and sides.
(3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
(4) Place graham crackers in heavy duty plastic bag. Use rolling pin or mallet (we use a hammer!) to crush crackers finely
(5) Melt butter in skillet over low heat
(6) Remove skillet from heat. Add crumbs and toss to coat
(7) Time to get your hands dirty! Pour buttery crumbs into prepared pan. Press firmly and evenly along bottom to form crust.
(8) Bake crust until golden brown, 12~15 minutes. Cool crust while preparing filling!

Filling:
(1) Beat cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl until smooth.
(2) Beat in egg and sour cream
(3) Beat in lemon juice and vanilla
(4) Spread the batter evenly over crust
(5) Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes. The toothpick test works well here - if it comes out without any batter sticking, the cake is done.
(6) Let cool in pan. Keep in pan, chill in fridge until cold, at least 2 hours
(7) Then comes the awesome part! Once cold, just lift the entire cheesecake out by using the foil overhang along the edges. Peel foil off bottom, cut cheesecake into squares and serve with berries.