Cheesy Creamed Spinach Recipe

There’s a lot to love about good quality creamed spinach. This easy homemade recipe is so much better than anything you can buy at the store. The store-bought version has never come close to this easy homemade version, which is creamy, rich, and indulgent.

When you make creamed spinach at home, you get to dress up fresh spinach in an indulgent, rich and creamy parmesan sauce. The sauce includes a warm, creamy medley of luscious cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, fresh grated parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses.

Even the pickiest eaters at your table won’t be able to resist this supremely cheesy and creamy side dish! It’s a great side to serve when you need to sneak some veggies on the table.

The spinach isn’t just creamy – it’s also flavorful. The sauteed spinach also features browned shallots, fragrant fresh garlic, and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg.

Yes, nutmeg! The nutmeg is subtle, and it’s used to add depth and enhance the other flavors in the mix. You’ll love the way the minimal seasonings really compliment the natural flavors of the spinach and cheeses.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Spinach – while I usually prefer to use fresh spinach, frozen spinach will work well! You just need to make sure to thaw the spinach and squeeze out excess liquid.

Shallots – shallots are a related to onion and garlic and have a milder flavor from regular onions and slightly sweet. I usually recommend substituting them with Vidalia or sweet onion.

Cheeses – creamed spinach won’t the the same without a top of cheese packed into it. I use three to be exact: cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. I recommend using fresh grated parmesan cheese for smooth melting into the sauce and grating mozzarella off the block. Pre-shredded cheeses contain separators and preservatives, which is a powder that does affect the texture of dishes.

Heavy whipping cream – this is the best ingredient for rich and creamy texture and also contributes to thickness of the sauce. If you need to substitute, you can use half and half but nothing less. To adjust to the thickness, mix in about a teaspoon of cornstarch into cold half and half before adding to creamed spinach.

How To Make Creamed Spinach

Mise en place: This is a quick moving creamed spinach recipe, so make your life a lot easier by prepping all of the ingredients beforehand! Measure everything and set it within reach so it’s ready to grab. Slice the shallots and smash and mince the fresh garlic cloves.

Add olive oil to a pan and heat it over medium heat and preheat the pan. Sauté the shallots until they’re tender and browned. Remember that leaving your base veggies to sauté until browned will incorporate more flavor into the overall dish!

Toss in the garlic and cook just until fragrant. Don’t burn your garlic or it will be bitter. Add the spinach to the pan and let it cook down. As it cooks down, stir to incorporate it with the shallots and garlic.

If the spinach is very watery, be sure to drain it before adding the remaining ingredients. Noone wants soggy creamed spinach.

Lower the heat to medium-low, never cook creamy dishes on medium or higher. Scalding cream could lead it to curdle or separate.

Whisk in cream cheese and when it is incorporated with the spinach, stir in the heavy cream, both cheeses, and seasonings. Stir until it’s all mixed together. Simmer over medium-low heat until the cheese is all just melted and smooth, stir gently and slowly. Don’t let it boil, a gentle bubble of simmering is all you need.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Top with a little extra parmesan because when is there even enough parmesan cheese!

Serving Suggestions

The most common way is to serve Creamed Spinach is as a side dish, but there are a few other ways you can enjoy it as well.

Mix it with pasta and you will get a delicious dish like spinach artichoke fettuccine (or any other pasta of your choice).

Just like pasta, you can serve it over rice, quinoa, or another grain.

You can also use it as a topping for chicken, whole baked salmon, or delicious steak in the oven.

Make sure to try another version of creamed spinach with mushrooms and white wine sauce.

How to Make Ahead

This is a great side dish to prepare ahead of time and then reheat before dinner. Prepare and cook the dish completely and let if cool to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator. Make sure to store it in an air-tight food storage container.

You can make it ahead the day before and simply reheat it when needed.

To reheat it, transfer the creamed spinach into a pot or a pan and reheat it over medium-low heat just until warmed trough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen spinach?

Yes, you can definitely use frozen spinach. Just make sure to thaw it completely and squeeze out the excess liquids before adding to the pan. Let it warm up before stirring in the cream cheese.

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More Easy Side Dishes To Try

• Creamed Corn
• Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce
• Haricots Verts
• Honey Roasted Carrots
• Family Favorite Sauteed Green Beans

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in November 2022.