Baked Spinach and Goat Cheese Croquettes Recipe

Baked Spinach and Goats Cheese Croquettes – a lighter dinner for meatless Mondays. Creamy mashed potato folded with butter, double cream and a good pinch of salt is heavenly — and these croquettes are a delicious, tangy twist.

Table of Contents

• Baked Spinach and Goats Cheese Croquettes Recipe

If there’s one thing I love, it’s mashed potato. I don’t make it often because I could easily polish off half a kilogram on my own. Back in my student days I’d top a big bowl of mash with crispy bacon, finely diced raw onion and leftover gravy — a comforting, wallet-friendly combo I might reintroduce to the kids one day.

For these croquettes I swap the usual cheddar for creamy goat’s cheese and fold in lightly wilted spinach for a gentle tang. Shaped into cylinders, coated in breadcrumbs and baked until golden, they’re crisp outside and soft inside — perfect for lunch, a starter or a meatless dinner. I like to serve them with a simple dip made from crème fraîche swirled with sweet chilli sauce.

If you need them gluten free, make fresh breadcrumbs from a gluten-free loaf — they work very well here and you won’t notice the difference once baked.

I’m nostalgic for student food sometimes — quick, cheap and oddly satisfying. Some favourites back then were Batchelors Savoury Rice, Blue Dragon Chicken Chilli Noodles, egg noodles with a little sweet and sour sauce, and crisp butties made with smoky bacon crisps on white bread. Those days when 5-a-day meant a glass of orange juice and a supermarket apple turnover feel amusingly distant now.

Did you have student food favourites? Let me know — but in the meantime, try these croquettes. They’re simple, use up leftover mash, and make a great meat-free option.

Baked Spinach and Goats Cheese Croquettes

By Nicky Corbishley

Baked Spinach and Goats Cheese Croquettes – a lighter dinner or appetizer for meatless Mondays. Easily made gluten free too.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 75 g (2.6 oz) baby spinach leaves
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 90 g (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 125 g (2 1/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs (or homemade breadcrumbs from slightly stale bread; use gluten-free bread if required)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500 g (2 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp) leftover mashed potato, chilled
• 100 g (about 1 cup minus 2 tbsp) goat’s cheese, chopped into small chunks

To Serve

• Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (fan). Line or prepare a baking tray and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then chop finely.
3. Set up three bowls: one with the whisked eggs, one with the flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and one with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the paprika onto the breadcrumbs, drizzle over the vegetable oil and mix so the oil is absorbed into the breadcrumbs.
4. Place the chilled mashed potato in a bowl and fold in the chopped spinach and goat’s cheese until just combined. Take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a cylinder or small ball.
5. Coat each croquette by rolling in flour, dipping into the egg, then rolling in the breadcrumbs until fully covered. Place the croquettes on the prepared baking tray, leaving a little space between each one.
6. Bake for 15–20 minutes, turning if desired, until the croquettes are golden and crisp.
7. Remove from the oven, arrange on a serving plate and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Mix the crème fraîche with the sweet chilli sauce and serve alongside the croquettes for dipping.

Notes

Nutritional information is per croquette: Calories: 137 kcal • Carbohydrates: 15 g • Protein: 4 g • Fat: 6 g • Saturated Fat: 4 g • Cholesterol: 30 mg • Sodium: 132 mg • Fiber: 1 g • Sugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

This recipe was first published July 2017 and updated December 2025 for housekeeping purposes.

Some links in the original post may have been affiliate links, which can earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on ingredient brands and preparation methods.