Easy Creamed Spinach

5 (1)

Creamed spinach is one of those dishes that I probably would have turned my nose up as a child, but now that I’m an adult I L-O-V-E it! It’s rich and creamy, but not too-too heavy, and has just the right amount of cheesy goodness to keep me coming back for more. I’ve got tons of ways to customize this creamed spinach recipe, too, so you can totally tweak it to make it just the way you like it!

Fresh or Frozen spinach?

We used frozen chopped spinach to keep the recipe easy and convenient, but you can definitely use fresh spinach if you prefer. To use fresh spinach, simply roughly chop the spinach, then sauté it in a skillet with a small amount of oil until moist of the moisture has been cooked out. You’ll want to use 12 oz. of fresh spinach to replace the frozen spinach in the recipe below.

What Else Can I Add?

1. Heavy cream – If you want your creamed spinach to be EXTRA creamy, replace ½ cup of the milk with heavy cream.
2. Cream cheese – If you don’t like making béchamel sauces, you can thicken your white sauce by melting together 4 oz. cream cheese and 1 cup milk as the base for your creamed spinach. This also gives the creamed spinach a slightly tangy flavor.
3. Mozzarella – Try topping your creamed spinach with a little shredded mozzarella and placing it in the oven for a few minutes to melt for an extra cheesy layer.
4. Artichoke hearts – dice up some artichoke hearts and stir them into the mix.
5. Onion – Finely dice an onion and sauté it with the garlic in the beginning of the recipe.

This easy creamed spinach recipe is a delicious and easy side dish for any meal, and is made with simple ingredients like butter, milk, and Parmesan.

Servings: 4 ¾ cup each

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Ingredients

1. 12 oz. frozen chopped spinach*
2. 4 Tbsp butter
3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
4. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5. 1.5 cups whole milk
6. 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
7. 1/8 tsp nutmeg
8. 1/8 tsp salt (or more to taste)
9. 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions 

1. Fully thaw the frozen spinach, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Set the spinach aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté over medium heat for about one minute.
3. Add the flour to the skillet. Whisk the flour and butter together and continue to cook and stir for about two minutes more.
4. Whisk the milk into the flour and butter. Continue whisking until the sauce comes up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken.
5. Add the Parmesan to the sauce and continue to whisk and cook until the Parmesan melts into the sauce (1-2 minutes). Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
6. Finally, stir the chopped spinach into the white sauce until evenly combined. Give the spinach one final taste and adjust the salt as needed. Enjoy!

Notes

* To use fresh spinach, roughly chop 12 oz. fresh baby spinach. Sauté the spinach in a skillet with a little oil until most of the moisture has cooked out.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cup Calories: 246kcal Carbohydrates: 15g Protein: 10g Fat: 17g Sodium: 407mg Fiber: 3g

How to Make Creamed Spinach – Step By Step Photos

Thaw 12 oz. frozen chopped spinach and squeeze out the excess moisture (it will be about 1.5 cups once thawed and squeezed). If using fresh spinach, roughly chop the spinach then sauté it in a skillet with a small amount of oil until most of the moisture has cooked off.

Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add 2 minced cloves of garlic and sauté for about one minute.

Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour to the skillet and whisk it into the butter. Continue to cook and whisk the butter and flour mixture for about two minutes (it should be bubbling the whole time).

Whisk 1.5 cups whole milk into the butter and flour roux.

Continue to cook and whisk the white sauce until it comes back up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken (this should happen within a couple of minutes).

Add ⅓ cup shredded or grated Parmesan to the skillet and continue to whisk and cook until the Parmesan has melted into the sauce.

Add ⅛ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly cracked pepper to the sauce. Stir to combine.

Add the thawed chopped spinach to the white sauce and stir to combine.

Give the creamed spinach one last time and add more salt if needed. Enjoy the creamed spinach warm with your favorite meal!

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes