The Best Creamed Spinach recipe
This creamed spinach recipe is a perfect balance of simplicity and indulgence. If you love ordering creamed spinach with your steak, you should definitely learn how to make it at home! It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal weeknight side dish. But don’t let its ease fool you – the result is a restaurant-quality dish that pairs beautifully with everything from a perfectly seared steak to a hearty holiday meal. Even the pickiest of eaters will be eating their fill of spinach with this delicious creamed spinach recipe!
Ingredients Needed
Spinach: Opt for fresh baby spinach over frozen for the best texture and flavor. Butter: Is used to sauté the onions and garlic in! Heavy Cream: This is what gives the dish its luxurious, creamy flavor. Onion & Garlic: The combination of onion and garlic adds a depth of savory flavor and lovely aroma! Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor and meltability.
How to Make Homemade Creamed Spinach
Tips for Success
Don’t skip draining the spinach. Removing excess water from the spinach is crucial for a perfectly thick and creamy final dish. Cook in batches, if necessary. This ensures all the spinach wilts evenly without overcrowding the pan. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of milk. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a bit longer until it is your desired consistency. Season to taste. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper – they’ll enhance all the flavors.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes to Try
Garlic Green Beans Mashed Sweet Potatoes Roasted Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Stir Fry Creamed Corn Recipe
It is a wonderful holiday side dish that goes amazingly with a roast turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy smashed carrots. You can also serve creamed spinach as an appetizer with some crostini and your favorite vegetables.
title: “Creamed Spinach” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-26” author: “Ervin Clay”
Best of all, this fresh creamed spinach is a snap to throw together, using just 10 simple ingredients and only about 15 minutes of active prep. For more holiday side dishes, try my creamed corn recipe, sweet potato casserole recipe, and cornbread dressing recipe!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Baby spinach – I love baby spinach because it’s already washed, prepped, and ready to go. Feel free to use mature fresh spinach, but note that you’ll need to remove the woody stems and tear the leaves into smaller pieces. You can also swap in frozen spinach but note that you should look for “leaf spinach” rather than “chopped spinach” for the best texture. Yellow onion – in a pinch, white onion, red onion, or shallots can also be used. Garlic – fresh is best, but approximately 1 tablespoon of jarred minced garlic is a fine substitute. You can also about 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead. Unsalted butter – if you only have salted butter on hand, be sure to taste the dish before adding any salt at the end. Heavy cream – while I love the rich mouthfeel that heavy cream brings to the table, you can substitute half and half if needed. Cream cheese – you definitely want full-fat or regular cream cheese for that rich, creamy sauce. Don’t reach for fat-free cream cheese — it’s loaded with artificial ingredients and stabilizers that negatively impact the consistency when cooked. You can use a farmer’s cheese like Neufchatel if needed. Grated nutmeg – if possible, purchase whole nutmeg and grate your own using a microplane or the fine holes of a box grater. Whole spices last nearly indefinitely on the shelf and will retain much more flavor than the pre-grated jars.
How To Make Creamed Spinach
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with two teaspoons of salt, then add one-third of the spinach (1 bag). Press the spinach down to submerge in the water, then cook for about 30 seconds, until bright green and just barely wilted.
- Using a spider or mesh strainer, transfer the cooked spinach to a colander set over a large bowl. Repeat, cooking the remaining spinach in two more batches. Drain all of the spinach and rinse with cold water until cool.
- Place the drained spinach in a towel and squeeze it to wring out most of the excess moisture.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the cream and whisk to combine.
- Cut the cream cheese into cubes. Add the cream cheese and Parmesan to the skillet, and whisk until fully melted and incorporated into the cream sauce.
- Break up any large clumps of the spinach and add to the cream mixture.
- Season with black pepper and nutmeg. Stir and cook over low heat until warmed through and the spinach is well coated in sauce. Serve immediately, or remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Don’t squeeze too hard! You don’t need to squeeze the spinach extremely dry, just remove what water you can in 2-3 good squeezes. While too much water can make the sauce thing, leaving some of the moisture helps to make the sauce silky. Make ahead magic. The spinach can be blanched and squeezed (through step 3) up to 24 hours in advance. Grate your own cheese. While the pre-grated kind is quite convenient, it’s also coated in a starchy substance to keep the shreds from clumping together. That starch does such a good job that it also prevents the cheese from melting properly. Add a little kick. Stir in cayenne pepper to taste or the zest of a lemon into the creamy spinach at the end of cooking.
If you’ve tried this Creamed Spinach recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
