I love Creamed Spinach. In fact, my favorite way to serve it is in a baked potato! This recipe is quick and easy and you can make it with any type of spinach (just adjust the cooking time).
When I was growing up, we would always have cream-style corn on Thanksgiving. My dad would always tell me that this dish came from French settlers who had brought their own version of creamed spinach to America with them.
So today, I’m going to show you a recipe for creamed spinach that’s reminiscent of my dad’s, and make the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any other occasion.
-Creamed Spinach Recipe: In a large saucepan, bring water to boil over high heat. Add in cream corn while stirring and then add in Parmesan cheese (optional). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until desired consistency is reached (if it becomes too thick, simply add more milk).
-Add butter cubes into pan before adding chopped fresh spinach leaves as soon as they’re wilted. Stir together with remaining ingredients on stovetop until well mixed through. Serve hot!
*Baked Potato Creamed Spinach Variation: Layer your favorite potatoes with the steamed spinach and top it off with a generous amount of cream.
*Soup Variation: Puree together vegetables, stock, creamed corn and Parmesan cheese to make this dish into soup.
-Serving Suggestions: As mentioned before, you can serve this creamy side as Thanksgiving or any other occasion! You could also add in your favorite meats if desired for more flavor (besides bacon). Try adding ham cubes along with fresh parsley for some extra color and nutrition.
-Baked Potato Creamed Spinach Variation without Meat Option: Add chopped onion on top instead of meat cubes to save calories while still getting that savory goodness from the onions mixed throughout the whole skillet.
*Side Variation: If you don’t want as creamy of a side for your Thanksgiving table (or any other occasion) I have an easy alternative with just a few ingredients! It’s not quite as rich in creaminess but still tastes great.
Prepare steamed spinach on one plate while boiling potatoes in another pot with water until soft enough to mash them up or cut around the potato cubes so they’re bite sized chunks that are ready when done cooking. Take out from heat and mix together fresh parsley then pour either chicken stock or milk over top along with some salt and pepper to taste.
Why this recipe is so special?
The Creamed Spinach recipe uses a cooking technique called “creaming” which is where the fat and flour are mixed together, then cooked over heat. This produces a thick creamy liquid that coats vegetables in an unctuous sheen of flavor. It captures all those nutrients by using less cream than traditional recipes use but still makes it rich tasting with the heavy whipping cream used at the end to coat each individual serving just as you would serve French Onion Soup or Crème Bruleé.
What I like most about this dish is how easy it is to make ahead for company since there’s no need to worry about timing if your guests get caught up talking because these will stay warm on low heat even after being prepared for an hour.
The technique also produces a dish that is gluten free and can be made vegetarian, or vegan by using dairy substitutes for the cream like coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream.
Spinach leaves are chosen because they will quickly absorb all of the flavour without taking on any extra water from cooking which may cause it to become unpleasantly wet and soggy when reheating leftovers at a later date. This recipe has been my family’s favourite since I was just starting out in the kitchen as young bride with so many responsibilities but not enough time to focus on every detail before everyone sat down for dinner together.”
What about other flavors?
Some other ways that you can use spinach for creamed dishes are to add them to soups, sauces and gravies. You could also mix some cooked greens into an omelet or scrambled eggs. Spinach makes a great addition to any soup pot because it is hearty enough to take on the flavors of whatever else is being cooked in the broth while still maintaining its own rich flavor. One thing about adding too much fresh spinach at one time though, is that it has a tendency of turning everything green if not covered well with liquid. The best way around this problem? Add your raw chopped up leaves gradually until desired coloration has been achieved!