Why it works: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Spinach Soufflé
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
Mix thawed and drained spinach together with onion.
Beat remaining ingredients and blend in spinach mixture.
Cook
Spoon mixture into a lightly buttered 3 1/2-quart Crock Pot (or souffle dish to fit in a larger crock pot) and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Spinach | 1 cup raw (30g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cream cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together467 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Spinach + nutmegtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together603 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Spinach + peppertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,400 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
-
Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Spinach + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,336 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Beaten eggs set the mixture into a soft, sliceable custard as it cooks.
- Cream cheese
- Adds richness and a creamy, smooth texture to the soufflé.
- Spinach
- Provides the main body and bulk of the dish, adding moisture and flavor.
- Mayonnaise
- Adds fat and moisture, helping keep the texture tender and rich.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into the mixture, adding savory flavor and a richer texture.
The step that matters
Spooning into the Crock Pot. Eggs set as they heat, so the mixture needs to be evenly spread in a buttered dish that fits the slow cooker to cook through without curdling or drying at the edges.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (spinach, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, pepper, nutmeg):
- Chivefits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Welsh onionfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against spinach, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, pepper, nutmeg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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