Creamed spinach is a classic, comfort-food favorite that never goes out of style. Between the dreamy nutmeg-tinged cream sauce, salty parmesan cheese, and fresh baby spinach, it’s the ideal indulgent (but still nutritious!) addition to any meal. It’s also a vibrant addition to any holiday table, bringing a touch of flavorful elegance to your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.
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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Place the drained spinach in a towel and squeeze it to wring out most of the excess moisture.
4. 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.
5. Add the cream and whisk to combine.
6. 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.
7. Break up any large clumps of the spinach and add to the cream mixture.
9. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
While it is best served fresh, you are welcome to jump ahead through step 3 up to a day before you plan on serving it. Otherwise, any leftovers should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, gently reheat on the stovetop over low heat, or microwave on 50% power until warmed through.
Generally speaking, anything “creamed” (including “cream of” soups) isn’t a great candidate for freezing — creamed spinach included. The dairy in the sauce often separates upon reheating, leaving you with a curdled consistency and a watery sauce.
You can’t have creamed spinach without cream!! If you absolutely, positively insist on cutting calories, you can go as low as half-and-half, which is half cream and half whole milk. That said, it won’t be nearly as rich and delicious as if you were to use cream.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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!
Creamed Spinach
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 3 (10-ounce/282g) bags baby spinach
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream (240ml)
- 2 ounces cream cheese (56g)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (40g)
- 2½ teaspoons salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over 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, 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 extra 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.
Notes
- 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.
