My creamy, easy, creamed spinach recipe is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner. It comes together in just 20 minutes and can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
wooden spoon stirring thick and creamy creamed spinach
Quick Creamed Spinach Recipe (Using Fresh or Frozen Spinach!)
Ready or not, it might be time to start thinking about holiday meal prep! Whether you’re making dinner at home this year or heading to a friend or family member’s house, the meal will most likely include at least a few of the classics: turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing, a side of homemade rolls, creamed spinach, and, for the pumpkin lovers among us, pumpkin pie for dessert.
Creamed spinach is one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and I thought it was about time I share my own version on the blog. This recipe is a great way to sneak in a few greens, but realistically it’s rich, indulgent, creamy, and certainly doesn’t get a pass as health food.
My version is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of cream to complement rather than overwhelm the spinach, it can easily be doubled for a crowd, and it comes together quickly in less than 30 minutes. I honestly think you’re going to love this one, and can’t wait for you to try it!
Spinach. I recommend fresh baby spinach, but you could use chopped frozen spinach instead. If you do, make sure to thaw and drain well before adding to the cream mixture (there’s no need to cook the spinach first if using frozen).
Onion & garlic. For truly incredible flavor, we’ll cook the onion and garlic in butter before creating a roux. Make sure to chop your onion finely; we want it to blend right in so it’s almost undetectable.
Flour. As part of a roux, flour thickens the cream part of this dish. Use all-purpose flour here–no need to get fancy.
Milk & cream. We’ll use an equal amount of milk and cream to make this creamed spinach recipe nice and creamy, but not too rich. You could substitute an equal amount of half-and-half.
Salt. To brighten the flavor, add some salt. Plain table salt works well, but if you have fine sea salt opt for that for even better flavor.
Spices. Since the spinach itself doesn’t have a very strong taste, I add black pepper, paprika, and just a pinch of cayenne pepper for flavor (and a super subtle heat).
Cream cheese. Cream chees not only adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the creamed spinach, but it also adds to the creaminess and richness of the dip without making it too rich.
Parmesan cheese. Parmesan infuses a subtle nuttiness and saltiness. It really rounds out the whole dish–don’t skip it!
Spinach Prep Time: 10minutes minutesCook Time: 10minutes minutesTotal Time: 20minutes minutes Servings: 8 Calories: 121kcal
Ingredients
- 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach 2 packages
- 4 slices finely chopped bacon
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cups warmed milk
Instructions
Cook the spinach according to the package directions and drain well. Fry the bacon bits until crisp and set aside. Remove most of the bacon drippings from the pan.
Sautée the onion in the remaining pan drippings until very tender (about 10 minutes). Add the bacon to the onion mixture for the last couple of minutes of cooking.|
Remove the onion/bacon mixture from the heat and stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic and blend thoroughly – it will be a thick paste roux.
Add the warmed milk all in one step. Return the mixture to medium heat and stir continuously until thickened and smooth.
Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Keep the finished dish warm until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 8410IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 1.6mg