This is the best Creamed Spinach you will ever make! Better than the steakhouse kind because it’s made from scratch, with just 7 ingredients, in 15 minutes. It’s a delicious side dish for the holidays!
If you are a fan of spinach like me, you will also love my Best Sauteed Spinach recipe and the popular Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta. They are easy too!
One of the most popular classic sides you can make with spinach is Creamed Spinach. It’s also one of the best ones! If you are a fan of spinach dip, you will love this recipe. It’s much lighter in texture and incredibly quick and easy to make. We serve it during the holidays. It pairs well with pork roast, prime rib, or roasted turkey.
Ingredients:
- spinach: fresh, washed; cut off the stems if desired
- onion: I used yellow onion
- garlic: fresh or jarred
- half and half or whole milk: I prefer half and half because it is richer
- cornstarch or flour: I always use cornstarch to make my sauces
- butter: perfect for sauteing onions and garlic
- Parmesan cheese, optional but recommended
- salt and pepper
How to make Creamed Spinach from scratch?
- Start by melting butter in pan.
- Add onion and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add spinach and saute until wilted. You may have to do it in batches.
- Saute until the spinach is wilted.
- Mix cornstarch with half and half. Add to spinach.
- Cook stirring often until thickens.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir.
- Serve.
Can I use frozen spinach?
I highly recommend using fresh spinach. If you only have frozen on hand, thaw it and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Add after sauteeing the onions.
Can I add cream cheese?
Absolutely! To make this dish ultra creamy, add 1 to 2 ounces of softened cream cheese. Stir until melted. Just keep in mind, that once you add cream cheese, you are on the way to make spinach dip. It will be much heavier and thicker. I prefer to add just Parmesan cheese at the end.
Best tips:
- Fresh spinach will fill your pan but once wilted it will make space for more, so add about 4 cups of spinach, cook it down, add more, and so on.
- Use cornstarch to make a smooth sauce. I always use it to make gravy, sauce, etc. You can use flour (4 tablespoons in this recipe), just make sure to whisk it well.
- You can cut off the stems from spinach. I don’t mind them so I skip that.
More side dish recipes:
For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Side Dish category.
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This is the best Creamed Spinach you will ever make! Better than the steakhouse kind because it's made from scratch, with just 7 ingredients, in 15 minutes. It's a delicious side dish for the holidays!
- 16 oz fresh spinach see note
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Swirl it around to pan to coat.
- Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until it's translucent.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add 4 to 6 cups of spinach. Cook, stirring constantly until wilted. Add more spinach and repeat until all of the spinach is cooked down.
- Mix cornstarch with half and half. Add to spinach. Cook stirring often until thickens.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir.
- Serve.
- Usually, a bag of spinach is 8 ounces. You will need two of them.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Allyson Zea says
This looks absolutely delicious, I cannot wait to try it!
Jen says
This dish is a holiday staple for us! It pairs so well with almost anything and makes you feel like you’re at a high end restaurant. So delicious!
Laura Reese says
I love this spinach! What a great recipe.