The BEST Creamed Spinach Recipe (2024)

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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.

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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.

Creamed Spinach

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Expert Tips

  • 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

4.70 from 124 votes

Creamed Spinach

Author: Jaclyn

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Creamed spinach - a classic spinach side dish with a rich and creamy sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed and sliced
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 ounce cream cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 12 ounce spinach washed 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 156kcal

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The BEST Creamed Spinach Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is creamed spinach made of? ›

Many creamed spinach recipes use frozen spinach, butter, and cream cheese. To put the focus more on the greens, I use fresh spinach here, which provides more texture than frozen (though you can use frozen in a pinch!).

Is creamed spinach anti inflammatory? ›

Spinach contains nitrates, which may prevent insulin resistance and relieve inflammation, a primary risk factor for diabetes. Vitamin K, folate, and beta carotene may promote brain health and slow cognitive decline, too, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

How do I cook spinach without it going soggy? ›

Spinach releases a lot of water as it cooks. So my father's trick is to drain and dry the spinach leaves as well as you can, using a salad spinner if need be, before cooking them. Then, sauté some garlic in olive oil in a large wide pan, and add the cleaned, drained, and dried spinach leaves to the pan.

How do you make creamed spinach less bitter? ›

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.

Why is my creamed spinach bitter? ›

Overcooking can cause the natural compounds in spinach to break down, leading to a bitter taste.

Is creamed spinach good for high blood pressure? ›

The spinach in creamed spinach is good for lowering blood pressure because it has potassium, folate, and magnesium. It is also low in calories and high in fiber. Creamed spinach is also low in sodium, which is good for blood pressure.

Is spinach good for joint pain? ›

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.

What to avoid with spinach? ›

Vitamin K: An individual must not consume spinach if they are taking anti-coagulating medicines (blood thinners) such as warfarin. Spinach is very high in vitamin K, and this nutrient may react with the anticoagulant drug and significantly affect its action and effect on other coagulating factors present in the blood.

How many minutes should spinach be cooked? ›

To cook fresh spinach in boiling water, place 1 pound of washed spinach, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water. If you're wondering how long to boil spinach, it should only take a few minutes. Once the steam starts to foam, begin your timer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.

What's the healthiest way to cook spinach? ›

Steam it: Steaming spinach is a gentle cooking method that helps retain most of its nutrients, including vitamin C. Simply place the spinach in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and cook until it wilts, which should take only a few minutes.

What are 3 ways you can eat spinach? ›

Here are some popular ways to prepare and eat spinach:
  • Fresh in Salads: Spinach can be enjoyed raw in salads. ...
  • Sautéed or Stir-Fried: Sautéing or stir-frying spinach is a quick and easy way to cook it. ...
  • Blanched or Steamed: Blanching or steaming spinach helps retain its vibrant green color and preserves nutrients.
Jun 20, 2023

What are the ingredients in Green Giant creamed spinach? ›

Spinach, Water, Modified Whey, Modified Corn Starch, Butter (cream, Natural Flavor), Nonfat Milk, Buttermilk, Salt, Cream, Maltodextrin, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Soy Lecithin.

Does creamed spinach contain cheese? ›

Creamed Spinach Ingredients

Onion: Minced white onion lends flavor and texture. Garlic: Take the flavor up a notch with minced garlic. Cream: This rich creamed spinach recipe calls for 1 ¼ cups of heavy cream. Cheese: You'll need sliced provolone cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

What are the ingredients in Stouffer's creamed spinach? ›

SPINACH, SKIM MILK, SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, 2% OR LESS OF BLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, DRIED ONIONS, SALT, SEASONING (CORN MALTODEXTRIN, NONFAT DRY MILK, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, BUTTER [CREAM, ANNATTO], WHEY PROTEIN ...

What does creamed spinach taste like? ›

Creamed spinach is easy to make with basic ingredients, yet the end result tastes like more than the sum of its parts. It's rich and creamy but not over the top.

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