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This creamed spinach recipe is so rich and delicious that you will forget you are even eating spinach!
It is a wonderful spinach side dish to serve up during the holiday season–or any time of year really.
Like creamed corn, this easy side dish is perfect to make and serve with any of your favorite main dishes.
Creamed spinach with creamed cheese really helps to add such rich flavor to the recipe. I love the flavor and it is great paired with chicken, pork tenderloin, or even meatloaf or steak.
If you are craving something different, I recommend this easy spinach side dish. I have served this up all year round, and I love the tang from the parmesan cheese in it.
What is creamed spinach?
Creamed spinach is fresh spinach leaves that get wilted in a pan on the stove and paired with a homemade creamy sauce. I used butter, onions, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and more for the best-creamed spinach recipe ever. It is so rich and incredible, but so easy to whip up.
How to make creamed spinach
To make this, all you need to do is grab a large skillet and toss your butter in and let it melt down on medium heat. Then add in your diced onions and cook until softened and translucent in color.
Now add in your garlic and give a quick stir until nice and fragrant.
Then in the microwave, you will want to heat your milk in the microwave just enough to warm it up. Then whisk in the cornstarch, and then pour the mixture into the skillet stirring.
It will thicken, add in your cream cheese, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Then stir in the spinach and let it wilt down a bit. Once it is fully creamed and wilted, serve, and enjoy.
How to make creamed spinach using frozen spinach
If you have frozen spinach on hand and want to use that in replace of fresh go right ahead. Just thaw your spinach and then squeeze off the excess liquid. If you skip this step it will water down your sauce.
Once it is thawed, you will stir in at the end of the cooking of the cream sauce. Then just heat until warmed, and then serve just like it was fresh spinach.
Can you make creamed spinach ahead of time?
Personally, I prefer creamed spinach fresh. You will find it offers the best texture and flavor. If you want to make ahead of time, you can do so. Just know that when you go to reheat it will have a softer spinach texture that is more broken down.
Go ahead and make it, and then store leftovers in the fridge until ready to serve. Then reheat in the skillet until warm. If the sauce is too thick add in a little chicken stock to help thin out the sauce as you reheat.
How long does creamed spinach last
You are more than welcome to store this for up to three days in the fridge. Make sure you store in an airtight container. Always use your best judgment in terms of quality. When in doubt, toss it out.
What to serve with creamed spinach
You can serve creamed spinach with so many things. From the classic Thanksgiving or Christmas feast to meatloaf, steak bites, pork, or chicken. While great for the holidays, this spinach side dish is so versatile, and we eat it all year round. Just like these crockpot glazed carrots.
Use half and half in replace of whole milk for a thicker and creamier texture
Or reach for heavy cream for a richer flavor overall
Feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg for even more flavor
You can double the recipe if you plan to serve a crowd
More Delicious Side Dishes
Sweet potato casserole
Brussels sprouts with bacon
Copycat Cracker Barrel fried apples
Pan-seared asparagus
Corn casserole
Recipe
Recipe
4.69 from 120 votes
Creamed Spinach
Author: Jaclyn
Prep: 5 minutesmins
Cook: 10 minutesmins
Total: 15 minutesmins
Creamed spinach - a classic spinach side dish with a rich and creamy sauce.
Ingredients
1Tablespoonbutter
1/2small oniondiced
2clovesgarlicsmashed and sliced
3/4cupwhole milk
1-2Tablespoonscornstarch
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonblack pepper
2ouncecream cheese
2TablespoonsParmesan cheese
12ouncespinachwashed and dried
Instructions
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring often.
Heat the milk in a microwave for 25 seconds; whisk in the cornstarch. Pour mixture to skillet.
Add salt, pepper, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese to skillet; whisk until well combined.
Stir in the spinach, coating the spinach completely in the cream mixture. Serve warm.
Notes
You can use frozen spinach in place of fresh. Just thaw and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible before adding to the skillet in step 4.
Most often, I make sauteed spinach with garlic and Parmesan, along with red pepper flakes. These simple, classic flavors taste elevated, while still allowing the main dish to shine. Feel free to add your own favorite spices, make your sautéed spinach without garlic, or try one of the recipe variations below.
Anti-Inflammatory: Spinach contains components like flavonoids and carotenoids that have anti-inflammatory properties, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Wilted spinach is mixed through a silky smooth white sauce, flavoured with sautéed onion and garlic, then served with parmesan cheese. This is the side dish of your dreams! Creamed spinach can be mistaken for just a bunch of spinach and heavy cream thrown together — like abracadabra — and you have creamed spinach.
It'll stay good for about three days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make this dish ahead of time and reheat it over low heat in a saucepan on the stove. (Low heat is important so the cream sauce doesn't separate!) What can you do with leftover cream spinach?
In fact, blending spinach or arugula with milk can be a great way to make a nutrient-dense smoothie. Spinach and arugula are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while milk provides protein, calcium, and other nutrients. Combining these ingredients can create a balanced and healthy drink.
Spinach has a strong flavor and does well with strong herbs and spices. Use spinach with basil, dill, chives, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, red pepper flakes, and thyme.
Overly Sweet Foods: Spinach generally has a mildly bitter or earthy flavor, which may not complement very sweet foods or desserts. Some people might not enjoy spinach in overly sweet dishes. Certain Vegetables: While spinach can be combined with many other vegetables, some combinations may not be to everyone's liking.
Choices like kale, spinach or collard greens are filled with vitamins E and C, great for an arthritis diagnosis. Vitamin E protects the body against pro-inflammatory molecules, while vitamin C helps produce collagen, a major component of cartilage.
Citrus juice can efficiently cover the bitterness of the spinach and give a fresh flavour to it. You can use either lemon, lime or even orange juice for the purpose. As soon as the leaves get cooked, take them out in a bowl. Drizzle some citrus juice over them, give a light stir and let it sit for 15 minutes.
What's bad about spinach? If you eat spinach every day in excessive amounts (more than a bowl) there can be adverse health effects. Most commonly these include gas, bloating and cramps due to its high fiber content. Eating too much spinach can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients.
Yes, spinach can sometimes cause gas in some individuals due to its fiber and high oxalate content, which can be difficult to digest. Eating spinach in moderation and cooking it can help reduce the likelihood of gas.
Even if it seems fresh and isn't wilted, pre-washed bagged spinach that has beyond its expiration date is not advised for consumption. There are hazards involved with ingesting food that has passed its expiration date, even though spinach may survive longer than its expiration date if stored correctly.
Creamed spinach is a staple on any good steakhouse menu, making it the perfect pairing for a juicy seared ribeye, crispy fried chicken, or smothered cube steak. Serve it as an easy veggie side at your holiday dinner to really add some fancy factor alongside your Thanksgiving turkey.
Those packages of salad mixes, spinach and arugula are fineto eat past the due date. If the leaves have wilted, just cut off those bits before use. When your greens are starting to decay though (think mushy, slimy leaves), it's time to chuck.
Steam and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest and pepper. Choose your dark leafy green of choice (kale, spinach, broccoli and silverbeet is perfect here) and lightly steam until vibrant green yet still crisp.
Wilt spinach on the stovetop with garlic and olive oil
Keep it yummy on its own, or add a little bread, or a little garlic and olive oil. Add salt to taste and enjoy this dish as a tasty warm salad or side vegetable dish. This is one of the most delicious ways to eat spinach.
Once the spinach is wilted, season with sea salt if desired, and you're done! To aid in iron absorption add vitamin C, such as a squeeze of lemon juice over your sauteed spinach or eat your spinach with other vitamin C rich foods like bell peppers or citrus fruits.
Citrus juice can efficiently cover the bitterness of the spinach and give a fresh flavour to it. You can use either lemon, lime or even orange juice for the purpose. As soon as the leaves get cooked, take them out in a bowl. Drizzle some citrus juice over them, give a light stir and let it sit for 15 minutes.
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