Creamed Spinach

A stainless steel skillet filled with creamy spinach and cheese mixture sits on a marble countertop next to a striped cloth and a cheese grater.

4.75 from 4 votes

🥬🙌🏻🧀 This classic recipe is creamy, cheesy, and it'll become your new favorite way to eat spinach! Easy, ready in 25 minutes, and the perfect side dish for family meals or for holiday celebrations including Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. And it rivals your favorite steakhouse's version of creamed spinach, I promise.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Side Dish, Sides, Sides, Salads & Vegetables

Cuisine: Sides

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: cream spinach, creamed spinach, creamed spinach recipe

Servings:

Calories: 286cal

Equipment

large skillet

Ingredients

20 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (I use two 10-ounce bags, I do not recommend frozen spinach but if you absolutely must you can use 15 ounces 'cut leaf spinach', not 'chopped spinach', that you thaw and drain very well)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion finely diced (sweet Vidalia onion or shallot may be substituted)
4 garlic cloves finely minced
4 ounces cream cheese cubed, at room temperature (use brick-style cream cheese, do not use lite or reduced fat cream cheese products)
1 cup milk at room temperature (whole milk recommended, 2% may be substituted)
½ cup heavy cream at room temperature
¾ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes optional
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice optional

Instructions

Wilt + Chop: Wilt the spinach by placing it in a large microwave-safe bowl, placed a damp paper towel over it, and heat on high power for about 2 minutes, or until wilted. I find this the easiest and least messy way to wilt it, but you can use another method that you prefer. It will also naturally wilt more when stirred into the cream sauce in Step 4.
If desired, roughly chop the spinach. I don't tend to chop it unless the 'baby' spinach leaves are on the bigger side. It's personal preference. If you see any thick stems that are offending, you can remove them. Set aside momentarily.
Aromatics: To a large skillet, add the butter, onions, and heat over medium-high heat to melt the butter and soften the onions, about 4 minutes; stir very frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir continuously.
Cream Sauce: Add the cream cheese, milk, heavy cream, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and stir continuously until the cream cheese and Parm have melted, about 1-2 minutes.
Combine: Add the spinach, stir into the sauce, and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a bit to your liking. Make Ahead Tip - If you plan to make this in advance, I would err on the side of less simmering time now since it will thicken in the fridge and with time, so less simmering now will make reheating smoother.* (See Notes Below)
Taste: Taste and check for seasoning balance. If desired, add additional salt, pepper, or if desired add nutmeg, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper adds depth of flavor without adding heat, or a spritz of fresh lemon juice brightens it all up.
Broil, optional: If you are familiar with how to broil and are comfortable using your broiler, you may broil for about 2-4 minutes, to lightly brown the top and turn the cheese golden. Take extreme care when broiling not to leave your kitchen and get distracted because it's very easy to char something in a matter of seconds.
Serve immediately. If desired, garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan.

Notes

Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Gently reheat leftovers in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired, noting to take care of not overheating it due to the cream sauce. I'm not a fan of freezing anything in a cream sauce but you potentially can, noting to take care when thawing/reheating it.

Make-Ahead: I have seen recipes that indicate you can make this in advance but it's such a quick, easy, simple side dish and if you're making it for a holiday or special meal, I recommend making it fresh. However, if you must, and want to make it in advance, err on less simmering rather than more because if it's too thick to start with, as it cools it will thicken more, and the reheating process will thicken it again. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, stirring very frequently. You may need to add additional heavy cream, as desired.

Nutrition