- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 700 g
- 30 g
- 2 cloves
- 2 tbsp
- 240 ml
- 120 ml
- 60 g
- 1 pinch
- ½ tsp
- ¼ tsp
- 30 g
Process
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the 700 g baby spinach in batches and blanch for 60 seconds, just until wilted and bright green.
Drain the spinach immediately into a colander and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking. Squeeze it dry in handfuls over the sink, then chop roughly. You should have about 250 g of drained spinach.
In a wide saucepan, melt the 30 g unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced yellow onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Sprinkle the 2 tbsp all-purpose flour over the onions and garlic and whisk constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Do not let it brown.
Pour in the 240 ml whole milk and 120 ml heavy cream in a steady stream while whisking. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the 60 g cream cheese cubes one at a time until fully melted and smooth. Season with the 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
Fold the chopped spinach into the cream sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until heated through and the sauce clings to the leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Transfer to a warm serving dish and scatter over the 30 g grated parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is skipping the squeeze: spinach holds a surprising amount of water, and if you do not squeeze it dry in handfuls the sauce will turn thin and watery. Squeeze until no more liquid drips out.
- Blanch the spinach for only 60 seconds and shock it in cold water. Longer cooking turns the leaves olive-drab and mushy, and the color cannot be recovered.
- The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through the coating leaves a clean line. If it is still runny, simmer for another minute; if too thick, loosen with a splash of milk.
- Grate the nutmeg fresh if you can. A pinch is enough; too much makes the dish taste medicinal and overpowers the spinach.
Substitutions
- baby spinach→frozen chopped spinach, 450 g, thawed and squeezed very dry
- heavy cream→whole milk plus 1 extra tbsp butter for a lighter sauce
- cream cheese→mascarpone or full-fat ricotta
- parmesan cheese→pecorino romano or nutritional yeast for a dairy-free topping
Storage & reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken and some liquid may separate; reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring until smooth, or microwave in 30-second bursts. Do not freeze: the cream sauce breaks and the spinach becomes watery and mushy after thawing.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why is my creamed spinach watery?
Almost always because the spinach was not squeezed dry enough after blanching. Spinach releases a lot of water, so squeeze it in handfuls over the sink until no more drips come out. Also make sure the flour is cooked for a full minute before adding the milk, otherwise the sauce will not thicken properly.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes. Use about 450 g frozen chopped spinach, thaw it completely, then squeeze it very dry in a clean kitchen towel. Frozen spinach is already blanched, so skip the boiling step and add it directly to the finished cream sauce. The result is slightly softer but still good.
How do I keep creamed spinach from turning gray or olive green?
Blanch the fresh spinach for only 60 seconds, then immediately drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Overcooking or leaving it hot after draining destroys the chlorophyll. Adding the spinach to the sauce only at the end and heating it just until warm also preserves the bright green color.
Can I make creamed spinach ahead of time?
Yes, up to 2 days ahead. Cook it completely, cool quickly, and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring until smooth. If you plan to bake it later, undercook the sauce slightly so it does not dry out in the oven.
Why did my cream sauce curdle or look grainy?
The heat was too high or the dairy was added too quickly. Keep the heat at medium when making the roux and low when adding the milk, cream, and cream cheese. If the sauce looks grainy, whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk or take it off the heat and whisk vigorously; it often comes back together.
How do I know when creamed spinach is done?
The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and hold a clean line when you draw a finger through it. The spinach should be tender but still bright green, and the whole mixture should be hot throughout. If it looks soupy, simmer for another minute; if it is stiff, stir in a little milk.
Can I make creamed spinach dairy-free?
Yes, but the texture changes. Use olive oil or vegan butter for the fat, oat or soy milk for the liquid, and a dairy-free cream cheese alternative. Skip the parmesan or use nutritional yeast. The sauce will be slightly less rich, so reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons to keep it thick.
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