Creamed Spinach

With ingredients like nutmeg and onion, this spinach side dish is packed full of delicious flavor! Whether you are making it as a holiday side dish, or as something to accompany a steak, this is the best creamed spinach recipe. 

 

Potential Benefits

Chopped spinach is loaded with benefits! And while delicious creamed spinach might not the the healthiest of side dishes, you can still benefit from the creamy dish.

• Lots of vitamins and minerals – Packed with calcium, iron and magnesium.
• Prevent cancer – Some studies show that spinach is an anti cancerogenic, meaning it can prevent some types of cancer.
• Reduce asthma – Some reports show is can reduce severity or prevent asthma attacks.
• Lower blood pressure – Spinach has been linked to lower blood pressure.
• Lots of servings – You can get several servings of your leafy greens in just one serving of wilted spinach.

A key to this flavorful creamed spinach is the freshly grated nutmeg. The nutmeg adds a wonderful, nutty flavor to an otherwise bland dish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A super easy side dish that’s full of flavor- what’s not to love!

• Simple ingredients – With only 8 simple ingredients, you can have this side dish ready in no time. They’re all easily found at your local grocery store.
• Quick and easy – when you’re low on time, this side dish is perfect because it’s ready in only 20 minutes!
• Great for special occasions – This recipe is my favorite way to add a little green to the holiday table without much work.

Creamed Spinach Ingredients

Basic ingredients are what makes this such a delicious recipe. Move over Boston Market, there’s a new favorite spinach recipe in town!

• Butter – We add salt into the recipe later, to use unsalted here. If you do choose to use salted butter, just omit the extra salt at the end.
• Onion – I love adding chopped onion to my creamed spinach. It gives it a nice crunch as well as some flavor. If you have family members that aren’t fans, just leave the onions out of the cream mixture.
• Garlic – I do highly suggest using a fresh garlic instead of bottled. It has better flavor. Grate, mince or press garlic for maximum garlic flavor.
• Spinach – You can use frozen spinach, but I highly recommend fresh spinach leaves. Raw spinach is far better than something previously cooked and reheated. If you do use frozen, drain the excess water. Too much water will make for excess moisture in your spinach dish. Also keep in mind, you will need a lot of spinach. A bag of fresh spinach cooks down to look almost not enough spinach.
• Nutmeg – I like to think of this as my secret ingredient. Along with the creamy texture of this tasty side dish, ground nutmeg adds a warmth and nuttiness to a classic dish.
• Parmesan cheese – If you aren’t into cheese, feel free to omit the parmesan cheese or even substitute for pecorino romano cheese instead.
• Heavy cream – Make sure not to use half and half here. I wouldn’t suggest it, you will end up with watery creamed spinach.
• Fine sea salt and ground pepper – You can add these to taste. If using salted butter, omit this salt altogether. I like using fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Variations

There are several ways you can make this creamed spinach your own.

• Spice it up – If you’d like a little spice to your spinach, try adding some white pepper, red pepper flakes or even some hot sauce into the mix.
• Creamy – You can make it even more creamy by adding some softened cream cheese. It will make the cream sauce much thicker and creamier.

How to Make Creamed Spinach

With simple ingredients and only 20 minutes, you can have this easy recipe ready in no time!

1. Cook onion. Melt butter in a heavy bottom saucepan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, sautéing until it starts to soften.
2. Garlic. Add garlic, sautéing for an additional minute.
3. Spinach. Add spinach, tossing to coat and allowing it wilt.
4. Seasonings. Add nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Toss to combine and allow to thicken.
5. Salt and pepper. Season with fine sea salt and ground pepper to taste.

What to Serve with Creamed Spinach

This easy spinach recipe can be served with just about anything your heart desires. As a side to thing like beef dinners, pork chops or baked chicken breast is a great way to enjoy it. Even with Cornish Hens!

You can serve it at your holiday dinner alongside other sides like green bean casserole or cranberry sauce. It’s a delicious side dish no matter how you serve it. 

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Creamed Spinach

You can make creamed spinach up to 24 hours in advance and simply reheat it. Store any leftover creamed spinach in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat it, simply reheat in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat.

Can I Freeze Creamed Spinach?

Freezing it is easy too. Pack it with the least amount of air possible, an airtight plastic bag works best. It will stay good for up to 4 months. 

More Easy Spinach Recipes

With all of its health benefits, I love adding spinach to almost anything. Here are some of my favorite recipes that use spinach.