Description
This delicious stuffed catfish with spinach is a flavorful and healthy seafood dinner option. Tender catfish fillets are filled with a creamy mixture of sautéed spinach, garlic, onions, cream cheese, and Parmesan, then baked to perfection with a crispy breadcrumb topping. Perfect for a wholesome main course that pairs wonderfully with rice or roasted potatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
Fish:
- 4 catfish fillets
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Lemon wedges for serving
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Topping (optional):
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a baking dish to ensure the fish doesn’t stick during baking.
- Sauté aromatics and spinach: In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the minced garlic and finely chopped onion until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped fresh spinach and cook until wilted, then remove from heat.
- Make filling mixture: Stir in the softened cream cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, paprika, salt, and black pepper into the spinach mixture until it becomes creamy and well combined.
- Stuff the catfish fillets: Lay the catfish fillets flat and spread a generous spoonful of the spinach cream cheese mixture over one half of each fillet. Carefully fold the fillet over to enclose the filling securely.
- Arrange and season: Place the stuffed fillets seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the juice of half a lemon. If using, sprinkle the optional breadcrumbs on top of the fillets for a crunchy topping.
- Bake the fish: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve the stuffed catfish warm with lemon wedges on the side for an extra burst of fresh citrus flavor.
Notes
- This stuffed catfish pairs excellently with sides like rice or roasted potatoes for a complete meal.
- For a different flavor, you can substitute the cream cheese with ricotta or goat cheese.
- To keep it gluten-free, omit the breadcrumbs or substitute with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
