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This easy creamed spinach is fresh baby spinach simmered in a garlicky cream sauce with cream cheese and Parmesan. The spinach goes straight from the bag into the pan, so there’s no blanching or squeezing. It’s ready in about 30 minutes and tastes just like the steakhouse version.
More Creamy Vegetable Side Dishes: Creamed Peas | Slow Cooker Creamed Corn | Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
Before You Get Started
Creamed spinach only takes a few steps, but a little extra water or the wrong cheese can turn it thin or grainy. Keep these in mind:
- Dry the spinach well — Wet leaves add water to the sauce, and it turns thin and soupy. Bagged baby spinach is usually prewashed, so you can skip rinsing.
- Grate your own Parmesan — Pre-shredded Parmesan is coated with an anti-caking powder that keeps it from melting smoothly. Freshly grated melts right into the sauce.
- Stop once the spinach wilts — Spinach keeps releasing water the longer it cooks. Take the pan off the heat as soon as it’s wilted and coated, then serve.
RECIPE OVERVIEW
How To Make Creamed Spinach
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Creamed spinach is simply cooked spinach in a thick, cheesy cream sauce. You’ll make the sauce first, then stir in the spinach so it wilts right in the pan. Use a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven, since 16 ounces of spinach takes up a lot of room at first.
1. Soften the Shallot and Garlic
Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the shallot. Cook it for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then, until it’s soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, just until it smells fragrant. Garlic burns quickly, so have the flour ready to go.
No shallot? Use onion. About ¼ cup minced yellow or white onion works fine. Give it 3-5 minutes to soften before you add the garlic.
2. Make the Cream Sauce
Sprinkle the flour over the shallot and garlic and stir for 1 minute. This cooks out the raw flour taste. Then slowly pour in the half & half while whisking, so the flour blends in without lumps.
Keep whisking often for 2-3 minutes. Don’t worry if it looks thin at first. It thickens as it heats, and it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
3. Melt in the Cheeses
Turn the heat down to low. Stir in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted and smooth, then whisk in the Parmesan. Low heat matters here. If the sauce is bubbling hard when the cheese goes in, it can turn grainy.
Soften the cream cheese first: Cubed, room-temperature cream cheese melts in quickly. Cold cream cheese tends to leave small lumps.
4. Wilt the Spinach in Batches
Add the spinach a few big handfuls at a time, stirring after each one. It’ll look like way too much at first, but it shrinks down fast. Let each batch wilt slightly before adding more. All of it should be wilted and coated in about 4-5 minutes.
To speed things up, cover the pan for about 30 seconds after each addition. The trapped steam wilts the leaves faster.
Chop it for a smoother texture: If you’d like smaller pieces, roughly chop the spinach before adding it. It’s also easier to eat that way.
5. Season and Serve
Stir in the salt, pepper, and a small pinch of nutmeg. Taste and add more salt if it needs it. Serve it right away with extra Parmesan on top.
If the sauce gets thicker than you like, stir in a splash more half & half until it loosens up.
Make it baked: Spoon the finished creamed spinach into an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with more Parmesan, and broil for 2-3 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly. Watch it closely, since it browns fast under the broiler.
What to Serve It With
Creamed spinach is a classic steakhouse side, so a good steak is the most natural pairing. It’s also rich enough to feel special on a holiday table next to prime rib, ham, or turkey. Add a simple potato side, and dinner is done.
A few of my favorite pairings:
Need more for a big holiday dinner? My Thanksgiving Side Dishes collection is full of ideas, from green bean casserole to creamy mashed potatoes and homemade stuffing.
Storage Tips
Storing, Reheating, and Prepping Ahead
Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Warm it gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of half & half if the sauce has thickened up in the fridge.
Making ahead: Creamed spinach is best served fresh, so I don’t recommend making it a day ahead. The spinach keeps releasing water as it sits, and the sauce turns thin. Instead, do the prep the day before: dice the shallot, mince the garlic, grate the Parmesan, and cube the cream cheese. Then it’s about a 15-minute job right before dinner, which fits nicely while a roast or turkey rests.
I don’t recommend freezing creamed spinach. The cream sauce can separate when it thaws, and the spinach turns watery.
Using leftovers: Stir leftover creamed spinach into hot pasta, spoon it over a baked potato, or fold it into scrambled eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes, frozen spinach works in a pinch, though fresh gives the best texture. You’ll need 2 (10-ounce) boxes. Thaw them completely and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, or the sauce will turn watery. Stir the spinach into the finished sauce and cook just until it’s heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
Why is my creamed spinach watery?
Spinach releases water as it cooks, so extra liquid usually comes from wet leaves or cooking it too long after it wilts. To fix it, simmer it uncovered over low heat for a minute or two, stirring, until it thickens. Next time, dry the spinach well and take it off the heat as soon as it’s wilted.
Can I use milk or heavy cream instead of half & half?
Yes. Whole milk works, but the sauce will be a little less rich, so let it simmer an extra minute or two to thicken. If you have both heavy cream and whole milk, ½ cup of each is a great stand-in. All heavy cream makes the sauce richer and thicker, so you may want a splash more liquid at the end.
Why did my sauce turn grainy?
Grainy sauce usually comes from pre-shredded Parmesan, which has an anti-caking coating that keeps it from melting smoothly. High heat can also cause it, so turn the heat to low before adding the cheeses. Make sure the cream cheese is soft, too, so it melts in without small lumps.
More Cozy Holiday Sides
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Au Gratin)
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Butter Green Beans
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Twice Baked Potatoes
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half & half
- 2 ounces cream cheese cubed and softened
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 16 ounces fresh baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Soften the shallot: Melt the butter in a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Cook the flour: Sprinkle the flour over the shallot and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Make the sauce: Slowly pour in the half & half while whisking. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Melt the cheeses: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese until melted, then whisk in the Parmesan.
- Wilt the spinach: Add the spinach a few heaping handfuls at a time, stirring after each addition and letting it wilt slightly before adding more. Cook until all the spinach is wilted and coated, about 4-5 minutes. Cover the pan for about 30 seconds after each addition to help it wilt faster.
- Season and serve: Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if using. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly than pre-shredded, which contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce grainy.
- Don’t overcook: Once the spinach is wilted, remove the pan from the heat and serve right away. Longer cooking makes the sauce watery.
- Thinning the sauce: If the sauce is thicker than you like, stir in a splash more half & half.
- Onion swap: Use ¼ cup minced yellow or white onion in place of the shallot. Cook it for 3-5 minutes before adding the garlic.
- Smoother texture: Roughly chop the spinach before adding it to the pan.
- Dairy swaps: Whole milk works but makes a slightly less rich sauce, so simmer an extra minute or two. You can also use ½ cup heavy cream plus ½ cup whole milk, or 1 cup heavy cream for a thicker sauce. Evaporated milk works in a pinch: use 1 cup from a 12-ounce can, though it can taste slightly metallic.
- Frozen spinach: Use 2 (10-ounce) boxes, thawed completely and squeezed dry. Stir it into the finished sauce and heat through.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat or in the microwave. This is best served fresh and isn’t recommended for making a day ahead or freezing.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
