Steakhouse creamed spinach is one of my all-time favorite sides because it's rich, creamy, and easy to make! Spinach is coated in a creamy sauce loaded with mozzarella, cream cheese, and Parmesan. It’s perfect for Sunday dinner, date night, or any time you want an amazingly flavorful side!
Delicious Creamed Spinach Recipe
Creamed spinach is so underrated! You might have been served watery, under-seasoned creamed spinach before, but this is nothing like that!
Creamed spinach has always been a staple at our family gatherings. Its creamy texture and rich flavor make it a favorite, especially during the holidays.
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Over the years, I've perfected this recipe, drawing inspiration from my grandmother's traditional methods and adding my own modern twist.
Looking for more tasty spinach recipes? Be sure to check out all of my best spinach recipes right here!
🥘 Creamed Spinach Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutes
I make it extra cheesy – this isn’t your grandma’s creamed spinach!
- Spinach – 1 pound of spinach. You can use fresh-leaf spinach, baby spinach, or ½ pound of frozen spinach. If using frozen spinach, make sure it’s thawed and drained well.
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter. Butter will be used to sauté the onion and garlic. I recommend using unsalted butter here.
- Yellow Onion – ¼ cup of yellow onion. This should be minced or finely diced so the onion blends into the sauce well! ¼ cup of onion is about half of a medium-sized onion.
- Garlic – 1 teaspoon of garlic. The garlic should be minced for this recipe! 1 teaspoon of garlic is about one large clove.
- Seasonings – The seasonings for this recipe include 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- All-Purpose Flour – 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour will thicken the sauce for our creamed spinach. Make sure to use plain flour here!
- Half & Half – 1½ cups of half & half. You can also use milk or heavy cream, but I prefer half & half to lighten it up a little since this dish is already so rich!
- Mozzarella Cheese – ½ cup of Mozzarella cheese. The cheese should be grated for this recipe. I like mozzarella because it’s mild but melts beautifully! You can swap this out for a smoked gouda or rich and flavorful Gruyere. Yum!
- Cream Cheese – 2 ounces of cream cheese. 2 ounces is about ¼ cup. Cream cheese makes this creamed spinach irresistibly delicious!
- Parmesan Cheese – ⅓ cup of Parmesan cheese. Grated Parmesan makes the creamed spinach flavorful and extra cheesy! I recommend using a good-quality aged Parmesan if you can!
Substitute the heavy cream with coconut milk for a dairy-free version, and use nutritional yeast instead of cheese. If you're looking for a bit of a kick, a pinch of red pepper flakes adds a delightful heat.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Creamed Spinach
My decadent steakhouse creamed spinach is really easy to bring together! You can use frozen spinach or blanch the spinach ahead of time to make it even easier! You will need a frying pan or skillet, a spatula, and a cheese grater.
This recipe makes enough creamed spinach to feed 4 people, but you can always double it if needed!
Step 1: Blanch the leaf spinach. Fill a large pot with enough salted water to cover the spinach (baby leaf spinach or spinach) and bring it to a boil. Then, add the 1 pound (453.59 grams) of spinach to your boiling water and cook until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.
Step 2: Drain. After 1 minute, drain immediately using a colander and rinse with cold water until the spinach is cool to the touch (this stops the cooking process). Then, set aside.
Step 3: Sauté onion & garlic. Next, bring a large skillet or non-stick frying pan to medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter. Once the butter is melted, add ¼ cup (40 grams) of finely diced onion and 1 teaspoon (3 grams or 1 clove)of minced garlic to the pan. Then sauté until softened, and the onion is translucent and fragrant – about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 4: Add seasoning. To the sautéed onion and garlic, add the seasoning: 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of salt, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) of ground nutmeg.
Step 5: Make the roux. Next, stir in 2 tablespoons (15 grams) of AP flour. Cook the flour paste (or roux) for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the flour taste, then slowly whisk in 1 ½ cups (354.88 of half & half and bring to a boil.
Combine Spinach & Cheese
Step 6: Add the cheese(s). Reduce the heat to low, then stir in ½ cup (56 grams) of mozzarella cheese and 2 ounces (56.7 grams) of cream cheese. Then stir until all the cheese is melted, smooth, and thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 7: Drain spinach. Take your spinach and squeeze handfuls of the drained and cooled spinach until you’ve squeezed out as much liquid as possible. You can wrap the spinach in a paper towel, dish towel, or cheesecloth to help.
Step 8: Chop spinach. Next, transfer the drained spinach to a cutting board and roughly chop all the spinach into strips that are roughly ½ inch to ¾ inch in width.
Step 9: Add more cheese. Add ⅓ cup (33.3 grams) of Parmesan cheese and the drained, chopped spinach to the sauce. Once the spinach is heated to your satisfaction, remove it from the heat and serve immediately.
🍽️ What To Serve With Creamed Spinach
My easy-to-make, ultra-creamy steakhouse creamed spinach is one of the best side dishes you can make! Serve it with an amazing pan-seared T-Bone steak, a fluffy baked potato, or a lamb steak and sauteed sweet potatoes for tasty dinner ideas!
If you're looking for a wine pairing, a crisp Chardonnay complements the dish's creamy texture. Now you’ve got an amazing weekend or date night meal!
🙂😀 Testimonials
This is the best creamed spinach I've ever made! The flavors are spot on, and it was a hit at my dinner party.
Jane from Texas
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you decide to use frozen spinach, let it thaw completely before using it. Then, squeeze out as much water as possible using a paper towel, dishcloth, or cheesecloth. There will be a lot!
- Love spinach dip? You can transfer the creamed spinach to a small baking dish, sprinkle with extra mozzarella and Parmesan, and broil until golden, and you’ve got the best hot spinach dip appetizer ever!
- I recommend grating the mozzarella and Parmesan yourself! Pre-grated cheese has fillers and starches added, which can give the creamed spinach a grainy texture.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
This amazing steakhouse creamed spinach is best used within 3 days! You’ll want to transfer the creamed spinach to an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible.
You can freeze creamed spinach, too! Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for no more than 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost it in the fridge overnight.
*I recommend draining any excess water that may appear on top before reheating!
Reheating Steakhouse Creamed Spinach
You can easily reheat the creamed spinach in a skillet over low-medium heat until hot and bubbling! Alternatively, you can reheat portions in the microwave for 30-second intervals or until thoroughly reheated.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Creamed spinach is so versatile! Of course, you can eat it as a side, but you can also serve it as a dip, stuff chicken or salmon with it, toss with pasta, or use it as a topping for almost anything!
I highly recommend adding the nutmeg! Nutmeg is often used as a baking spice, but it’s an excellent addition to any cream-based sauce! Its warm flavor adds a level of depth to sauces that can’t be replicated with other spices. It doesn’t make the creamed spinach taste sweet either – it balances the flavors perfectly!
To freeze your creamed spinach, let it cool off before transferring it to a heavy-duty freezer bag with the air squeezed out or an airtight container. Pop in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before reheating, and pour off any excess water that may have accumulated.
I'd love to see how your creamed spinach turns out! Share your experiences in the comments below, send photos to me at angela@bakeitwithlove.com, or tag BIWL on Instagram with #bake_it_with_love.
🍚 More Easy Vegetable Side Dishes
- Dauphinoise Potatoes - Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy and cheesy sauce.
- Panda Express Fried Rice - Eggs, peas, carrots, and green onions, all in perfectly cooked fried rice like at Panda Express.
- Honey And Herb Oven Roasted Carrots - Sweet fork-tender carrots that take very little prep time!
- Sauteed Zucchini And Yellow Squash - Sauteed zucchini and yellow squash is a quick and easy side dish that will have veggies on the table in no time!
- Fried Cabbage - Savory pan-fried cabbage with plenty of bacon that comes together in a flash!
- Butter Peas & Carrots - Wonderfully tender carrots and buttery peas you can make on the stovetop or microwave!
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📖 Recipe Card
Steakhouse Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 lb spinach (fresh leaf spinach or baby leaf spinach, or use ½ pound frozen spinach)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup yellow onion (minced or finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups half & half (or heavy cream)
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- 2 oz cream cheese
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with enough salted water to cover the spinach and bring it to a boil. Add the 1 lb spinach to your boiling water and cook until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.
- Drain immediately into a colander and rinse with cold water until the spinach is cool to the touch. Set aside.
- Bring a large skillet or non-stick frying pan to medium-low heat with the 2 tablespoon butter. Once the butter melts, add the ¼ cup yellow onion and 1 teaspoon garlic and saute until softened and the onion is translucent and fragrant, or about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the seasoning (1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg) and stir into the sauteed onion and garlic, then add the 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour and stir it in. Cook the flour paste for 2-3 minutes to cook off the flour taste, then slowly whisk in the 1½ cups half & half and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 2 oz cream cheese. Stir until all of the cheese is melted, smooth, and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Squeeze handfuls of the drained and rinsed spinach until you've squeezed as much excess liquid out as possible.
- Transfer to a cutting board, then roughly chop all the spinach into strips roughly ½ inch to ¾ inch in width.
- Add the ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese and chopped spinach to the cream sauce, stir to break up the spinach, and melt the Parmesan. Once the spinach is heated to your satisfaction, remove it from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you decide to use frozen spinach, let it thaw completely before using. Then, using a paper towel, dishcloth, or cheesecloth, squeeze out as much water as you can. There will be a lot!
- Love spinach dip? You can put transfer the creamed spinach to a small baking dish, sprinkle with extra mozzarella and Parmesan, broil until golden, and you’ve got the best spinach dip appetizer ever!
- I recommend grating the mozzarella and Parmesan yourself! Pre-grated cheese has fillers and starches added, which can give the creamed spinach a grainy texture.
Anonymous says
Thanks many times over love u n yr receipes.
Yamin says
Excelente receta, muy fácil, con ingredientes accesibles y muy bien explicado el procedimiento, me encantó!!! (Excellent recipe, very easy, with accessible ingredients and the procedure very well explained, I loved it!!!)