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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
A longtime staple of steakhouses and American diners, Creamed Spinach often feels like a treat reserved for eating out. This homemade version delivers the same silky texture and cheesy goodness you love, using simple ingredients and easy steps. Creamy, satisfying, and surprisingly nutritious, it’s a side dish you’ll want to make again and again!
If you love cooking with spinach or have extra to use up, try my Hot N’ Cheesy Spinach & Artichoke Dip or this Creamy Spinach Casserole next!
Reader Review
I made your creamed spinach today, and it’s awesome. Came together rather quickly, no problem at all. Thanks for sharing. Love your blog!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is easy and quick to make – perfect for beginners or busy weeknights.
- Total Time: Your Creamed Spinach is ready in just 15 minutes, so it’s a great last-minute side dish!
- Variations: Serve this side with my crispy Garlic Steak Bites, classic Roast Chicken, or some tasty grilled fish! You can also customize the taste with extra garlic, a pinch of nutmeg, red pepper flakes, or your favorite herbs.
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a large skillet, a knife for trimming the spinach, a colander for washing and draining, and a spoon for stirring and serving.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Baby Spinach: Tender baby spinach wilts down beautifully, creating a silky base without any bitterness. It cooks quickly and blends seamlessly into the creamy sauce. Karlynn’s Tip: Spinach shrinks a lot when cooked, so don’t panic if the pan looks full at first – it wilts down fast!
Butter: Butter adds richness and depth to the sauce. It also helps sauté the onion and garlic perfectly. Karlynn’s Tip: Use salted butter for extra flavor, or add a pinch of salt if you’re using unsalted.
Heavy Cream: Combined with milk and cream cheese, heavy cream creates the ultra-smooth, restaurant-style texture that makes creamed spinach so irresistible.
Yellow Onion: Finely chopped yellow onion brings a gentle sweetness to the sauce without overpowering the spinach. Karlynn’s Tip: Dice the onion as finely as possible so it melts into the sauce instead of standing out.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan adds a salty, nutty cheesiness that ties everything together and gives the sauce its signature savory finish!
How To Make Creamed Spinach
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Trim off any thick stems from the spinach, then cook until wilted, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the skillet and drain all of the liquid in a colander. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the milk, heavy cream, and cream cheese to the skillet, simmering until the cream cheese is melted.
- Add spinach and Parmesan, then stir to combine.
- Season the mixture to taste and serve hot!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Creamed Spinach
- Squeeze the Spinach Dry: Spinach releases a surprising amount of water as it cooks, and excess moisture is the fastest way to end up with watery, dull creamed spinach. After cooking, wring the spinach out as hard as you can to keep the final dish rich, green, and creamy!
- Add the Cream Slowly: Pour in the heavy cream gradually while stirring constantly. This helps the sauce come together smoothly and prevents it from separating as it thickens.
- Finish with a Flavor Boost: For extra richness, stir in an extra spoonful of cream cheese and Parmesan! Or, add a small pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, or nutmeg to enhance the sauce without overpowering the spinach.
Storage Instructions
Reheating Creamed Spinach can lead to a separated, less-than-appealing texture thanks to all that dairy. Instead of tossing your hard work or reheating it another day, turn your leftovers into a decadent spinach dip!
How to Make Spinach Dip: Stir in a pot of sour cream, then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a touch of cayenne. Give it a good mix, and you’ve got a creamy spinach dip that’s perfect for chips, crackers, or serving at gatherings!
More Delicious Side Dish Recipes
If you’re making tasty Side Dishes, don’t stop at creamed spinach! Try these reader favorites next:
- Green Beans Almondine bring a tender crunch with buttery almonds and bright lemon juice. This French classic is perfect for your next Thanksgiving meal!
- Learn How to Roast Butternut Squash! My recipe is your go-to guide for beautifully roasted, flavorful squash every time.
- Crispy, Buttery Fried Zucchini is crunchy, rich, and always pleases the crowd.
That’s all there is to it, folks! Simple steps, simple ingredients, and a creamy, cheesy side dish that goes with just about everything. Homemade Creamed Spinach proves that your classic steakhouse favorites can be just as good (if not better) at home!
Make this recipe for yourself and share how it turns out in the comments below. I always love hearing how these sides fit into your meals at home!
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 20 oz. baby spinach
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, (Grated)
- salt, (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Trim off any thick stems from the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring constantly. Remove from the skillet and drain all liquid in a colander. Try to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add onion and cook until soft, 5 -8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
- Add milk, heavy cream, and cream cheese to the skillet. Simmer until cream cheese is melted.
- Add spinach and Parmesan and stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne to taste.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Judith says
Hi..I made your creamed spinach today, and it’s awesome..came together rather quickly..no problem at all..thanks for sharing..love your blog!
Nelly says
My mother used to make it when I was young, (I did it also a few times for my family) the same way as you did till the onion/garlic, but her sauce was only light béchamel, not that heavy with cream, etc…
Think about Cholesterol, heart attacks, etc…
Food Sage says
Nelly – glad you like your mother’s version, you should keep making it. There are other people who prefer the steakhouse version which is very rich like this recipe. Scientifically you can eat a small amount of a high fat dish in a meal as long as your overall diet is in moderation. There are lots of people who are on low-carb, or keto diets for whom this recipe would be fantastic!
Joan Pike says
Hello Karlynn,
Is the nutrition information listed per serving??
Calories: 1132kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 96g, Saturated Fat: 58g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 24g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 274mg, Sodium: 1450mg
They are outrageously high if so. Even if they are for the full recipe they are still to high to be part of a heart healthy diet.
Very disappointed that you would put this out there.
Food Sage says
No, the calories listed are for the entire recipe. I was going to make a comment and ask her to clarify but now I don’t need to!
Max says
I don’t think she is telling anyone to eat this everyday and is not spouting off that this is super healthy. She’s more nuanced when talking about food sometimes. I don’t understand why you would tell a food blogger that you’re disappointed that she would put a recipe out because you feel it isn’t healthy enough? It’s okay to not like something. You don’t have to share your opinion, you could just move along and find a recipe you like.