Best Creamed Spinach Recipe Recipe Cards

BEST HEALTHY CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• COOK SPINACH: Cook frozen spinach in microwave as per package instructions. I add a teaspoon of water and microwave it, covered, for 3 1/2 minutes on High. Drain in strainer, squeezing out as much moisture as possible. It's ok if a little bit remains. Note 1 for using fresh spinach.
• MAKE CREAM SAUCE: Heat butter and/or oil on medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onions and sauté gently for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Mix in flour to make a roux. Stir for 2 minutes until it turns pale brown. Don't let it get dark. Add any combination of milk and cream that you like to equal 1 1/2 cups/354 ml. I generally use mostly fat free or 2% milk and about 1/4 cup half and half (10%) cream. Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper and nutmeg (if using) to your taste.
• COMBINE: Stir in cooked well-squeezed-out chopped spinach. Add Parmesan cheese if using. If mixture is too thick, add more milk until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately. Note 3 to make ahead.

CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• 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.

FAST AND EASY CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a large soup pot, place over high heat, add spinach, and cover. Cook for 1 minute, uncover, and lightly stir until most of the leaves are bright green and wilted, about 2 minutes. Quickly drain spinach in a strainer and transfer to a plate lined with 4 or 5 paper towels. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Transfer spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
• Mix salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter in skillet, and stir shallot in the hot butter until just barely golden and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir seasoning mixture into shallot mixture and pour in cream. Raise heat to medium-high and reduce cream sauce to about half, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.
• Reduce heat to low and toss spinach with cream sauce in skillet. Cook and stir until spinach is heated through and coated, about 2 minutes. Stir Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into spinach until thoroughly combined; serve immediately.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• COOK THE SPINACH (if using fresh spinach): Heat a very large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add all the spinach with the water still clinging to its leaves, you may have to firmly pack it. Cover the pan tightly (weight the lid down, if necessary). Leave the spinach to cook for about 2 minutes, then turn it over so that the wilted leaves are on the top. Cover and repeat the process a few times more, until all spinach is nicely wilted. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Drain spinach and reserve the pot that you cooked the spinach inches DO NOT WASH OR WIPE CLEAN.
• If you don't have a salad spinner (OR if using frozen spinach), squeeze the spinach dry with your hands a little at a time, squeezing as much liquid as possible from the leaves. Use paper towels and gently blot the spinach to help it dry. Chop the spinach leaves coarsely and set aside.
• MAKE A ROUX: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, to make a loose paste. Cook for about 1 minute. As soon as it balls up into a paste, exchange the wooden spoon for a wire wisk and in a steady stream, whisk in the warm milk. Stir slowly, until the roux comes to a simmer, about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the cream, salt, and pepper, and stir for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese to melt.
• ONION MIXTURE: In the same skillet where the spinach was cooked, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
• ASSEMBLY: Add the cooked spinach and the cheese sauce to the pan and stir together over medium heat until well mixed and heated through. Taste for seasoning, and transfer to a heated and covered serving dish.

CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Wash the spinach in several changes of water to get rid of any grit. Drain the spinach but keep some of the water clinging to the leaves. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the spinach and garlic. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach has wilted down evenly. Remove the garlic and put the spinach into a colander and let it drain well. Press out as much liquid as you can from the leaves and chop them coarsely.
• Heat the skillet again over medium-high heat and add the cream and nutmeg; cook until it reduces a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the spinach is hot, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

CREAMED SPINACH III

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix heavy cream, butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
• Place spinach in a vegetable steamer, and steam until leaves are wilted. Drain in a colander, pressing out excess water with a large spoon.
• Coarsely chop spinach in a food processor, and gradually stir into the heavy cream mixture. Briefly return to boiling, then remove from heat.

CLASSIC CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Blanch the spinach. Bring 1 gallon water to a boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Place the spinach in the boiling water. After 45 seconds (exactly), remove the spinach leaves with a slotted spoon, spider or tongs and drain in a colander. Let cool completely.
• Use your hands to press the spinach against the sides of the colander. When most of the liquid has been released, squeeze handfuls of the spinach to make sure all of the excess water has been removed. Set aside.
• In a wide, high-sided saute pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the melted butter to create a roux that will look like wet sand. Cook the roux for 3 minutes, stirring continuously to make sure it doesn't burn and it becomes a "blond" color. Add the milk to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure that the roux completely dissolves into the milk without lumping.
• Turn down the heat to maintain a low simmer. You're making a bechamel sauce, which is the base for the creamed spinach. Next, whisk in the cream and return the mixture to a simmer. Cook the bechamel until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Season the sauce with the salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Preheat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let heat for about 1 minute. Add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions soften and become translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook an additional minute or two.
• Add the cooked onion and garlic along with the drained spinach to the bechamel, folding to make sure it's completely coated with sauce. Season with the nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes, then taste the spinach. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and the nutmeg, and/or more cayenne if desired.

CREAMED-SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer. Add spinach; cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, pressing out as much liquid as possible with the back of a wooden spoon; coarsely chop.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour in milk, whisking constantly, until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until bubbling and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; add mustard and 1/2 cup cheese. Whisk until smooth.
• In a large bowl, stir together spinach and cheese sauce until spinach is completely coated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and panko; cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a 7-by-11-inch oval gratin dish with butter. Transfer spinach mixture to dish; sprinkle top with toasted panko and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until browned on top and edges are starting to bubble, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

FAVORITE CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• 1) sautée onions in butter and 1 t of salt on medium heat.
• 2) when onions begin to become translucent add garlic and olive oil.
• 3) add flour to make a thick paste, all liquid should be absorbed, you can add more flour or olive oil if needed, cook for 2 to 3 minutes to cook flour thoroughly.
• 4) let cool slightly and whisk in milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps while bringing to mixture to a boil, when finished the sauce should be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon, (be careful not to burn the sauce on the bottom of the pan).
• 5) Add spinach (with as much water removed as possible) and the remaining 1 t of salt (or to taste) and Parmesan, stir thoroughly to combine, bring back to a simmer and remove from heat.

CREAMED FRESH SPINACH

Steps:

• Place spinach in a Dutch oven over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and steam just until wilted, about 4 minutes. Drain; chop and set aside., Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually add cream and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the onion, salt and pepper. Fold in spinach; heat through.