I always tell my daughter she needs something green on her plate. If you have kids, you know that’s not always an easy sell with a 12-year-old who thinks they know everything. This creamed spinach is a reliable way to get her to eat a vegetable that isn’t a potato. I’ve even served it to people who insist they don’t like spinach — and they cleaned their plates.
What makes this recipe great is how simple it is to prepare. You can make the creamy sauce ahead of time and combine it with the spinach just before serving, or keep it warm until dinner. For a busy parent or anyone short on time, this is a dependable side dish that feels special without fuss.
Creamed Spinach
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: ~30 mins
Ingredients
32 oz fresh spinach
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 stick butter
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp salt
1/2 pint heavy cream
5 oz cream cheese
3 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded
Crushed red pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
- Rinse the spinach thoroughly in cold water and pat dry; removing excess water prevents a runny final dish.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Add the onion and garlic to the melted butter and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Stir in the salt and flour and whisk over low heat for about 5 minutes to slightly thicken the butter.
- Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle low boil.
- Add the cream cheese and stir frequently until it fully melts into the sauce.
- Stir in crushed red pepper to taste.
- Add the shredded Parmesan and stir until melted and smooth.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the spinach until wilted, about 2–3 minutes per batch if needed.
- Combine the cream sauce with the cooked spinach and stir until evenly coated.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with extra Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.
Step-by-Step
Step 1: Rinse spinach thoroughly with cold water and pat dry. It’s important to remove as much moisture as possible so the finished creamed spinach stays thick rather than watery. Thirty-two ounces of fresh spinach will cook down significantly.
Step 2: Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Step 3: Finely chop the onion and garlic.
Step 4: Add the onion and garlic to the butter and sauté about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften.
Step 5: Stir in the salt and flour and whisk over low heat for about 5 minutes to thicken the base slightly.
Step 6: Whisk in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Step 7: Add the cream cheese and stir frequently until it melts into a smooth sauce.
Step 8: Add crushed red pepper flakes to your preferred heat level.
Step 9: Stir the shredded Parmesan into the sauce until fully incorporated.
Step 10: Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook the spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Step 11: Mix the cream sauce into the spinach until evenly combined.
Step 12: Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Cheesy Creamed Spinach
Cheesy Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 32 oz fresh spinach
- 1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 stick butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
- 5 oz cream cheese
- 3 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse spinach thoroughly with cold water and pat dry.
- In a saucepan, melt one stick of butter over low heat.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Add the onion and garlic to the butter and sauté about 5 minutes until softened.
- Whisk in the salt and flour and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes to thicken.
- Whisk in the cream and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted and smooth.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- Stir in the shredded Parmesan until melted.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook the spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Combine the cream mixture with the spinach and stir to coat evenly.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with additional Parmesan and red pepper flakes.