This flavorful creamed spinach recipe is easy enough to accompany your weeknight meals and just decadent enough to serve for special occasions! Enjoy your luxuriously creamy spinach alongside grilled meats or fish for a classic pairing or spoon it over a baked potato for a delicious vegetarian option!
We almost always have a few bunches of fresh spinach in our fridge and I can find a way to add it to almost any recipe. But after mixing the green superfood into shakshuka, stuffing it into pork tenderloin and stirring it into my favorite thai curry soup, I thought it was time to make a dish where spinach was the star of the show. Enter one of my favorite classics that can convince even the pickiest eater to finish their greens — creamed spinach!
making creamed spinach
Our take on creamed spinach uses fresh baby spinach. You can use frozen spinach if you’d like, but you’ll need to thaw it first and then drain it really well. I tend to stick with fresh spinach for this recipe as it requires less prep time. The smaller leaves of baby spinach are also the perfect size to get that lovely fluffy texture!
To make the creamed spinach, start by sauteing the spinach with a bit of butter, onion and garlic. Before you move on to the next step, check to make sure there isn’t too much excess liquid in the pan. A little is just fine, but you’ll need to pour some out if it seems to be quite a lot, as this will make it more difficult for the spinach to get super creamy.
Now, to get that luscious sauce, this recipe uses just ⅓ cup (80 ml) of heavy cream, as well as two teaspoons of cornstarch mixed together with two teaspoons of water. Add the heavy cream and cornstarch slurry and simmer the mixture until the sauce has thickened. Now remove your creamed spinach from heat and stir in a bit of grated parmesan and red pepper flakes (both optional, but definitely recommended)!
what to serve with creamed spinach
I often associate creamed spinach with steak, but it’s also great served alongside pork, chicken and even fish! There’s nothing better than grilled salmon served over a bed of creamy spinach!
And there are of course lots of great vegetarian options too. Creamed spinach is the perfect topping for baked potatoes. Actually, it’s the perfect topping for really any kind of potatoes — mashed, roasted or even potato pancakes! Or try using this creamy spinach as a delicious and easy sauce to eat with your favorite pasta or gnocchi!
Don’t forget to check out some of our other favorite vegetable sides!
- spicy maple glazed sweet potato rounds + garlicky thyme sauce
- brussels sprouts with bacon
- roasted asparagus with horseradish aioli
- mexican street corn skillet
ingredients
- butter 1 tbsp (15 g)
- diced onion ½ small
- minced garlic 3 cloves
- fresh baby spinach 16 oz (450 g)
- cornstarch 2 tsp
- cold water 2 tsp
- heavy cream ⅓ c (80 ml)
- grated parmesan ⅓ c (30 g)
- red pepper flakes ¼ tsp
- salt to taste
instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent (about five minutes).
- Add the minced garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring frequently. You'll probably need to do this several handfuls at a time!
- While the spinach is cooking, mix together the water and cornstarch.
- Stir in the heavy cream and cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, simmer until the mixture has thickened (about five minutes).
- Remove from heat, stir in the grated parmesan and red pepper flakes. Season with salt to taste.
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