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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.
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.
Table of Contents
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Creamed spinach - a classic spinach side dish with a rich and creamy sauce.
Ingredients
1Tablespoonbutter
1/2small oniondiced
2clovesgarlicsmashed and sliced
3/4cupwhole milk
1-2Tablespoonscornstarch
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonblack pepper
2ouncecream cheese
2TablespoonsParmesan cheese
12ouncespinachwashed 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.
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!).
Anti-Inflammatory: Spinach contains components like flavonoids and carotenoids that have anti-inflammatory properties, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Cook it quickly over very high heat, stirring very frequently so the liquid that cooks off evaporates more or less immediately, the pan stays dry, and the spinach leaves are cooking in dry heat, not wet heat.
Rinse canned spinach to remove excess salt. ½ cup of canned spinach contains: - More than your recommended daily value of Vitamin K to help with the formation of bones, tissues and hormones.
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.
To prevent spinach from becoming bitter during the sautéing process, it's important to avoid overcooking. Overcooking can cause the natural compounds in spinach to break down, leading to a bitter taste. By sautéing the spinach just until it wilts, you can preserve its delicate flavor and avoid bitterness.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes, dogs can eat spinach, but it's not one of the top vegetables you'll want to be sharing with you pup. Spinach is high in oxalic acid, which blocks the body's ability to absorb calcium and can lead to kidney damage.
Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale will have a bitter taste after they expire, says Byrne, and making a salad with the expired greens puts you at risk of developing a foodborne illness. If your greens are nearing expiration, use some up in a green smoothie recipe.
You can throw Cider Vinegar-Spiked Steamed Baby Spinach together in about five minutes. The cider-vinegar sets this veggie side apart and gives the baby spinach a subtle, sour flavor.
Eating too much spinach can also be harmful if you have kidney problems. The oxalic acid in spinach can bind with excess calcium in your kidneys and create kidney stones. If you know you are prone to developing kidney stones, you should eat spinach in moderation.
The good news is that eaten in moderation spinach provides nothing but positive health benefits. Although it's difficult to find authoritative limits for spinach consumption on a daily or weekly basis, MedicineNet confirms that a bowl a day, a moderate amount, is safe for most people.
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.
Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamin A and folate and a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber. Recipe was reviewed and approved by Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) for Hidden Valley Ranch.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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