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steakhouse creamed spinach in a white bowl
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4.56 from 95 votes

Steakhouse Creamed Spinach

As a child of 1980s America, I never outgrew my love for steakhouse creamed spinach. Something tells me I'm not alone. Here's how to make it at home.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Keyword: steakhouse creamed spinach
Servings: 6
Calories: 77kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (454 grams) frozen chopped spinach
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter
  • 1 small yellow onion minced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tablespoons (23 grams) flour
  • 2 cups (473 ml) whole milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Cook the spinach according to package directions. I like to do this in the microwave. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the liquid that you can. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. 
  • Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or so, until foamy.
  • Pour in milk and stir vigorously to dissolve flour mixture.
  • Add nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, until slightly thickened.
  • Stir in spinach and grated cheese, cooking for a minute more to warm through. 

Notes

  1. If you want to use fresh spinach in this recipe, you’ll need to do some prep. You can use either baby or mature spinach. Either way, chop it well. You can include the tender parts of any stems. Then cook it in boiling, salted water until tender. For baby spinach, this will only take a minute. For mature leaves, give it two to three minutes and then test it, since they vary widely.When cool enough to handle, carefully wring out all the moisture that you can. This is harder when working with fresh spinach, but equally important. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
  2. You can make this recipe in advance if you like. Complete the recipe anytime on the day you want to serve it, and transfer it to a microwave-safe serving container with a lid. (Good old-fashioned Corningware is the perfect tool for the job, both functionally and aesthetically.) Shortly before serving, microwave it on half power until heated through.Leftovers keep well, tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week and can be reheated the same way.
  3. It’s easy to increase the richness of this dish if you really want to go for it. You can replace some of the milk with heavy cream or make the recipe as directed and then stir in ½ cup of warmed heavy cream before serving.
  4. To make this recipe gluten-free, swap in a 1:1 GF flour blend for the all-purpose flour. You won't need to make any other changes.
  5. Leftovers keep well, tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week and can be reheated at half power in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 360mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g