Cream Spinach

Cream spinach in a cast iron skillet on the grill

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Here's my take on classic steakhouse cream spinach, which goes great with steaks (obviously), chops, salmon and more.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

1 lb Frozen Spinach thawed and drained
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
4 oz Cream Cheese
1 cup Heavy Cream
½ cup Whole Milk
1 Garlic Clove minced
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Thaw frozen spinach completely and squeeze out as much water as possible. Set to the side.
In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about two minutes.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
Bring to a gentle simmer until slightly thickened, about two to three minutes.
Stir in the Parmesan, cream cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
Add the drained spinach to the sauce and mix until fully coated. Let it simmer for three to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened.
Transfer to a warm serving dish and top with extra Parmesan. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

How to Get Rid of Excess Moisture

When you're making cream spinach, you want to get as much water as possible out of the thawed spinach. If you've got too much moisture in your greens, it will (literally) water down the texture and flavor of the dish.

The way I like to get rid of the excess moisture is to thaw the frozen spinach in a colander in the sink, then wring out any remaining water by wrapping the spinach in a paper towel or clean dish towel and wringing it out.

If you're using baby spinach instead of frozen spinach, wilt it first, then place it in the colander. When we use the colander, the spinach isn't swimming in a bowl of its own ice melt. Then, the wringing step takes care of the rest. You also get a mini grip strength workout, so consider your dinner prep accessory work for the day!

Nutrition