Creamed Spinach
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This rich and creamy creamed spinach recipe is easy enough for a weeknight but special enough for the holiday table.
I learned to appreciate a good creamed spinach while working at Sam & Harry’s, a fine-dining steakhouse in Washington, DC, that was the place to be back in the ’90s—guess that dates me a bit, doesn’t it? This creamed spinach recipe is my take on that classic steakhouse side dish, with bright green spinach in a rich, cheesy cream sauce. It may be old-school, but it’s so good it never goes out of style.
I start frozen spinach, so no washing, blanching, or chopping pounds of fresh spinach. And instead of making a flour-thickened sauce, I simply simmer heavy cream until it reduces and thickens, then add Parmigiano-Reggiano, a touch of nutmeg, and the spinach. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes and can be made entirely ahead of time. Serve it alongside steak, beef tenderloin, roast chicken, or pan-seared salmon.
“Loved this…Tastes just like a good steakhouse side.”
What You’ll Need To Make Creamed Spinach
- Frozen cut-leaf spinach: A great shortcut here—look for cut-leaf rather than chopped spinach, which has a better texture. Be sure to squeeze it very dry so excess water doesn’t thin the cream sauce.
- Butter, shallots & garlic: Create the savory base of the dish. Shallots are milder and slightly sweeter than onions, which works especially well with the cream.
- Heavy cream & nutmeg: The cream is simmered until reduced and thickened, so there’s no need for flour. A touch of nutmeg is a classic pairing with spinach and cream.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Adds salty, nutty flavor and helps give the sauce a rich, silky consistency. For the best flavor, use freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano rather than pre-grated Parmesan cheese.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Creamed Spinach
Cook the aromatics: Melt the butter and cook the shallots until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and cook briefly. Keep the heat gentle so the garlic doesn’t brown.
Make the cream sauce: Add the cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer until noticeably reduced and thickened. You’ll know it’s ready when the cream coats a wooden spoon. Reducing the cream this way creates a rich, velvety sauce without the need for flour. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano until smooth.
Add the spinach: Stir in the well-drained spinach until evenly coated in the sauce and heated through. If the creamed spinach seems a little loose, let it cook briefly to evaporate any excess moisture. Serve right away, or let cool and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.
More Veggie Side Dishes You’ll Love
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots, from 1 to 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg, or use ground nutmeg
- ½ cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 pounds frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry (see note)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Do not brown.
- Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cream is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
- Add the spinach and stir until evenly combined with the cream sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (If the spinach seems a little watery, cook over medium-low heat until any excess liquid evaporates.) Serve warm.
Notes
- Cut leaf spinach is not the same as chopped spinach. If your market doesn’t carry cut leaf spinach, look for frozen whole leaf spinach. (Chopped spinach will work, but the texture won’t be as appealing.) Some markets carry 1-lb (454-g) bags, and some carry 10-oz (283-g) boxes; if you can only find the 10-oz boxes, you’ll need three of them. If you’d like to start with fresh spinach, you’ll need about 2 lbs (907 g) baby spinach leaves. Steam and drain the baby spinach, then roughly chop and measure out 2 packed cups.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This dish can be made and refrigerated a day ahead of time. Reheat in the microwave, uncovered, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until hot, a few minutes. When reheated, the spinach won’t be quite as creamy-looking as it was originally (though the taste will be the same); you can add a bit of cream when reheating to get a creamier consistency, if you’d like.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this ahead of time, refrigerator for a day, spread on puff pastry, roll, cut, bake, OUTSTANDING!
Thank you. I’m learning to cook at 70
As someone who doesn’t consider myself a great cook and often feels way out of my depth in the kitchen, I was pleasantly surprised by how doable this recipe was, even for a novice cook. The steps were clearly explained, and I really appreciated how easy it was to follow along—no guesswork needed! Using frozen spinach made it even more manageable, and the end result was delicious. My family genuinely enjoyed the finished dish, and it felt great to make something that everyone loved. This recipe has definitely earned a spot in my small but growing collection of reliable go-to dishes!
I’m in the burbs now but I used to live in the city surrounded by amazing steakhouses. I was missing this creamed spinach side dish soo much. I made your recipe for Thanksgiving dinner for my family. It was PERFECTION. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!! Everything I’ve made from your site is a hit, always.
Thank you, Jen for all your wonderful recipes.
Tomorrow, I hope to make your creamed spinach. My only confusion is that we are going to add the spinach to all the other ingredients and stir. Some mentioned they cooked the spinach before they added it in. However, you don’t seem to think that’s required. Please confirm.
Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving, Elizabeth.
Hi Elizabeth, I am obviously weighing in too late to help, but to clarify, it’s not necessary to cook the spinach. I’m guessing you looked at comments where people planned to use fresh spinach; in that case, I suggest that they cook it first.
Hi Jenn — Can I reheat the spinach in the oven? I will be making your make-ahead mashed potatoes and would rather heat everything together in the oven. I’m planning to have the oven set at 350 degrees. How long should I plan for each dish? Thanks!
Sure, that should work.The mashed potatoes should take 30 to 40 minutes and I’d guesstimate the spinach will take about 20. I’d give both of them a stir halfway through. Enjoy!
This recipe is great. I made it to accompany beef tenderloin and everyone loved the creamed spinach. I have tried several of Jen’s recipes and have been pleased every time.
I was looking for a way to use a large bag of fresh spinach. I looked on the computer and everything was creamed spinach with cream cheese. I don’t like cream cheese. I saw this recipe and made it. I cooked the spinach in boiling water and drained and squeezed it. This dish was such a success! My husband always clears the table for me and I saw him in the kitchen taking the last of the pieces in the serving dish and eating it. We always rate new dishes from 1 to 10 and he said I could give it more than a 10. So I will put it in my cookbook as a 10 1/2. Thank you for your love of cooking.
💜
Nutmeg makes all the difference in a dish. Love this recipe!
If using frozen chopped spinach, is the amount of spinach the same?
Yep!
Absolutely, by far, the BEST creamed spinach recipe I’ve made. Beats any and all restaurant versions! I substituted 16 ounces of fresh baby spinach – as I had fresh on hand and didn’t want to take a trip to the grocery store for frozen. Freshly grated parmesan cheese and nutmeg really made a difference here. This recipe is now on my regular rotation and I highly recommend others give it a try!!!