How to Make Creamed Spinach if No Cream Cheese Available
You are here: Home / Recipes / Easy Creamed Spinach
Easy Creamed Spinach does not get easier! This simple homemade side dish is so much better than store bought!
Wilted spinach is mixed through a silky smooth white sauce, flavoured with sautéed onion and garlic, then served with parmesan cheese. This is the side dish of your dreams!
Creamed spinach can be mistaken for just a bunch of spinach and heavy cream thrown together — like abracadabra — and you have creamed spinach. Well that may be a super easier version. This, however, is worth every minute it takes, standing over the stove and making the best white sauce to coat your wilted spinach leaves. Good luck making it to the table!
Here is your next Thanksgiving side!
Easy Creamed Spinach is delicious!
- This is something I grew up with…not just on Thanksgiving, but any time of the year. My mum would make this to go with steaks, roast chicken, and yes, even turkey.
- She cooks this up two ways: using fresh spinach leaves that first get wilted in a pot of boiling water OR in a pan with butterrrr. You can do either!
- The recipe ALSO includes frozen spinach for even faster creamer spinach!
Easy Creamed Spinach!
- 16 ounces (450 g) baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 an onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk, or half and half
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg, optional
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, to serve
-
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until light golden. Add in the onion and cook until transparent (about 2-3 minutes), then add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
-
Pour in the milk (or half and half), whisking constantly until the white sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne (If using). If the sauce is too thick, add another 1/4 cup of milk to the sauce, whisking it through until reaching your desired thickness.
-
For the spinach: melt the remaining butter in a separate pan, and add spinach in batches, wilting each batch before adding the next, until all spinach is wilted. (Add a small spoon of water if the pan gets too dry.) Alternatively: Cook the spinach in a pot of boiling water for just one minute; then immerse in a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. Squeeze out any excess water from the leaves and set aside.
-
Season the cream sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Add wilted spinach to the cream sauce, stirring gently to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
*Instead of fresh spinach, you can use 1 x 16 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach. Thaw and squeeze dry before adding to the sauce.
MORE SPINACH RECIPES:
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
Skillet Spinach Bacon Artichoke Dip
Spinach and Ricotta Grilled Cheese
Reader Interactions
How to Make Creamed Spinach if No Cream Cheese Available
Source: https://cafedelites.com/easy-creamed-spinach/