If you love creamy, cheesy, flavorful side dishes then this homemade creamed spinach recipe is for you! It’s foolproof, delicious, and makes for amazing leftovers too!
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Spinach: I used fresh spinach for this recipe but frozen will definitely work too, just thaw and squeeze the excess water out.
Cream: I use heavy cream for this but you can make it with half and half or full fat milk too.
How to Make Creamed Spinach
1. If using fresh spinach bring a large pot of water with two teaspoons of salt to a boil then add the spinach and cook for about 30 seconds or until wilted. I make a large batch, which means I boil the spinach in batches and use a spider to transfer to a colander. If using frozen spinach then simply thaw and move on to the next step.
2. Once your spinach is all cooked, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking then transfer to a tea towel, cheese cloth, or doubled up paper towels and squeeze out all the excess water.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat then add the minced onion and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Pour in the cream then add the cream cheese. Mix over heat until cream cheese has melted and the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low and add the mozzarella and parmesan then stir until incorporated and melted.
6. Break the spinach up into smaller clumps and add to the skillet then mix until distributed and spinach has been warmed through. Remove from heat and serve.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- If using fresh spinach make sure not to overcook it, 30 seconds really is enough.
- You can add more spinach for a slightly less decadent side dish. Try adding 3 pounds of fresh spinach if doing this.
- If you’re not a fan of parmesan then try using pecorino Romano or just omit.
- Note that the onion is minced and not chopped. You want smaller pieces that blend well with the other ingredients.
- Try adding 1/4 tsp of nutmeg or red pepper flakes for some added depth of flavor.
- Can you add chopped artichokes to this? Yes!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
All you have to do is thaw the spinach and then squeeze out the excess water using a tea towel, cheese cloths, or even just pressing against a colander.
How long can you keep creamed spinach?
Creamed spinach will last up to three days if stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator. You can also freeze creamed spinach for up to 6 months.
Is frozen spinach already cooked?
Frozen spinach has usually been blanched to cook it down into a more compact form. This is why you use so much less frozen spinach than fresh in recipes like this.
Can you use different cheeses?
You can sub out the mozzarella for jack cheese and the parmesan can be replaced with pecarino Romano.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Creamed Spinach recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Creamed Spinach
Equipment
- Skillet
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup onion minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cream
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh spinach roughly chopped, or 2 pounds frozen
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Mince your onion and garlic, shred the cheese and give your spinach a rough chop if using fresh leaves.
- Bring a large pot of water with 2 tsp salt to a boil then cook the spinach for about 30 seconds then transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water. You can do this in batches if your pot isn't big enough. If using frozen spinach simply thaw.
- Place the leaves in a tea towel or cheese cloth and squeeze all the excess water from the spinach and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat then add the onion and cook while stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic in and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the cream and add the diced cream cheese, cook while sitting until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about a minute then reduce heat to low and sprinkle in the mozzarella and parmesan. Cook while stirring occasionally until melted then remove from heat.
- Bread the spinach apart and sprinkle into the sauce then stir over low heat until warmed through. Serve warm.
Notes
- If using fresh spinach make sure not to overcook it, 30 seconds really is enough.
- You can add more spinach for a slightly less decadent side dish. Try adding 3 pounds of fresh spinach if doing this.
- If you're not a fan or parmesan then try using pecorino Romano or just omit.
- Note that the onion is minced and not chopped. You want smaller pieces that blend well with the other ingredients.
- Try adding 1/4 tsp of nutmeg or red pepper flakes for some added depth or flavor.
- Can you add chopped artichokes to this? Yes!
How much artichoke would you add to this?