Creamed Spinach Recipe – tender wilted spinach draped in a smooth white sauce infused with garlic, onions, creole seasoning, nutmeg and melted cheeses. A great easy holiday side dish for your favorite roasted chicken, steaks and turkey!
The holiday season isn’t meant for low-carb and less calorie dishes. We typically just set aside our calorie counter and happily indulge on good food. And we do know what “good food” means during the holidays, right?
To feel a little less guilty, I’m sharing with you today this best ever creamed spinach recipe. At least, we get to have a dose of something leafy and green during the holidays. 😉
What is creamed spinach?
What I do notice is that anything creamy (like this Creamed Corn) is always a big hit. Agreed? This creamed spinach is no different. It takes your favorite green leafy vegetable into a luxurious side dish with the right amount of milk and cream plus cheese.
It’s pretty simple to throw together, too. You just have to mix the white sauce, season it and throw in the spinach. Creamed spinach makes a great accompaniment with fish, meat dishes and potatoes.
Is creamed spinach healthy for you?
I grew up loving spinach. It’s one of my fave go-to leafy green veggies. Aside from how versatile spinach can be (you can add it to almost anything), it’s also packed with Vitamins K, A, C, Magnesium, Iron and Calcium. A cup serving of raw spinach contains only 41 calories. What’s not to love?
However, it turns a bit unhealthy-ish when you turn it into this creamed spinach packed with processed milk and cheeses. But heeeey, it’s better than serving full fatty side dish, right?
How do you make the best creamed spinach?
There’s nothing big in making the best creamed spinach. But I’d love to think that these three factors contribute how my creamed spinach is a cut above the rest.
Creole Seasoning. I would literally add most of my recipes, especially veggies, with a sprinkle of my homemade creole seasoning. It simply adds a depth of flavor and turn any dishes from bland to “wooahh!!”
The Cheeses. At some point, I finally decided to add two different kinds of cheese to this recipe. I love the complementing flavors of Gruyere and Parmesan — sweet and slightly salty meets fruity and nutty. And I’m a huge cheese lover. So I’ve got to find a reason to throw in more cheese into any dish. 😉
Nutmeg. It may seem like nutmeg is a dessert spice, but you’ll love that balanced flavor in this recipe. It also adds warmth to the creamy, cheesy flavor. All thanks to a half a teaspoon of nutmeg. It makes it oh-so-delicious!
This creamed spinach only takes 15 minutes of cooking and is a great side dish for your roasted chicken, pork, beef and even turkey dish. It’s worth every minute it takes – creamy and so delicious!
Enjoy!
Watch How To Make It
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 Frozen spinach (12 ounce each), thawed and drained (See notes for Fresh Spinach)
- 3- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 medium onion , diced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounce)
- ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Fresh Spinach
- Heat up a a large pot of water to a boil , lightly salt . Then add spinach leaves cook, let it cook for about a minute or just until wilted
- Drain extra water from the spinach using a colander. Place in cold water, to cool. Squeeze water out of the spinach and proceed with cooking
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter, let it melt then throw in garlic, onions, and creole seasoning. Stir for about 2-3 minutes or until fragrant Be careful not to let it burn.
- Add flour and whisk until flour is fully mixed with onion mixture , then cook for about a minute to get rid of the flour taste.
- Slowly add evaporated milk a little at the time, followed by the milk; you do not want the mixture to form any lumps.
- Bring to a simmer and let it simmer gently, whisking constantly until the sauce has begun to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the cheeses, and continue stirring until everything’s melted and evenly combined and smooth.
- Add spinach, until well combined. Followed by nutmeg and Worcestershire. Adjust seasonings to taste and additional liquid (milk or cream , if needed). Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
- Remove from stove and serve piping hot.
Tips & Notes:
-
Substitute frozen spinach with 2 1/2 pound fresh spinach.
- You may substitute all-purpose flour with almond flour, but not coconut flour as it is more absorbent and would affect the texture of this dish.
Nutrition Information:
How to Make Creamed Spinach
In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter, let it melt then throw in garlic , onions, and creole seasoning. Stir for about 2-3 minutes or until fragrant Be careful not to let it burn. Add flour and whisk until flour is fully mixed with onion mixture , then cook for about a minute to get rid of the flour taste.
Slowly add evaporated milk a little at the time, followed by the milk ; you do not want the mixture to form any lumps. Bring to a simmer and let it cook whisking constantly until the sauce has begun to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the cheeses.
And continue stirring until everything’s melted and evenly combined and smooth.
Stir in spinach, until well combined. Add nutmeg and Worcestershire. Adjust seasonings to taste and additional liquid (milk or cream , if needed).
Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from stove and serve piping hot.
Chris says
Can i use heavy cream instead of evaporate milk
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Chris. Yes, you can!
dasie says
love recipe a lot keep it up guys
Teresa Bassett says
One of my favorite veggie, and like you cheese makes everything better. Trying this Next week when I replenish my spinach.
imma africanbites says
Can’t wait for you to try it, Teresa. Thank you for dropping by!
Coral Robinson says
I often put nutmeg in savory dishes. Spaghetti bolognaise 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg changes it and silver beet is also enhanced with a 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Tera says
I’d really like to be able to Pin some of your recipes and without fail, I cannot. I’ve tried to pin at least half a dozen and I always receive the same error message – ” There is nothing to pin”.
imma africanbites says
I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Tera. I just tried pinning it now and it works in my end. Will have my tech guy look into this, tho. Meanwhile, you can check out my Pinterest profile and pin from there this recipe.. >>> https://www.pinterest.com/africanbites/immaculate-bites-blog-recipes/