Southern Creamed Spinach Recipes

CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Combine milk, spinach liquid and garlic in a 1-quart microwave-safe measuring cup or small bowl covered with a saucer, and microwave (or heat slowly in a medium saucepan) until very hot and steamy. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to soften garlic.
• Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Add hot milk mixture all at once, then whisk until smooth. Stir in spinach; cook until sauce is thick and bubbly and spinach is tender but still green, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese, nutmeg, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve hot.

CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• In batches, saute the spinach in a large saute pan over high heat until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic; cook until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the butter and flour; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil (it will thicken as comes to a boil). Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan, nutmeg and sauteed spinach.
• Serve immediately or hold in a low oven.

CREAMED SPINACH CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the heavy cream, nutmeg and cayenne and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in the spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the mixture to a 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the panko and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and light golden on top, about 15 minutes.

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.

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.

CLASSIC CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook spinach in oil until wilted, 3 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside. Melt butter in the Dutch oven; add onion and saute until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. , Stir in flour, salt and nutmeg until combined. Gradually whisk in milk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Add the chopped spinach. Reduce heat to low; cook, uncovered, until heated through, 5 minutes.

GARLIC CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add spinach and garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook until cream cheese is melted.

EASY CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water until cool. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible; coarsely chop, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add cream cheese and milk; cook, stirring, until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in spinach. Simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Add nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.

SOUTHERN STYLE SPINACH

Steps:

• Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess juice.
• Fry bacon till crisp, remove and reserve 3 tablespoons of drippings.
• Saute onions, garlic, and jalapenos in bacon drippings, just until onions are translucent.
• Add vinegar and brown sugar and stir until disolved.
• Add spinach and saute for about 5 minutes.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle on crumbled bacon.