Lucky Star® - Recipe

Pilchard And Spinach Bake
Submitted by: Joanne Reidy, South Africa

Ingredients
425g can Lucky Star Pilchards in Tomato
1 bunch spinach, washed, drained and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Oil for cooking
1/2 tub chunky cottage cheese
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs

Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
Tomato sauce (from the can of pilchards)
1/2 tub chunky cottage cheese

Method:
Heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.  Drain the pilchards over a bowl and separate into fillets.  Keep the sauce.   Cook the spinach in a little water in a medium saucepan until limp.  Drain very well; squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands.

Fry the onion in a little oil in a frying pan until golden.  Remove from the heat and mix in the cottage cheese and spinach, and seaso with salt and pepper.  Spread evenly into a casserole.  Arrange the pilchard fillets on the spinach mixture.

To make the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter or margarine in a medium saucepan.  Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, milk, mustard and sauce from the can of pilchards.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick, then remove from the heat and mix in the cottage cheese.

Pour the cheese sauce onto the pilchards and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.  Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown.  Serve hot with macaroni and enjoy.

Best enjoyed with: Macaroni

Serves 6-8