Creamed Spinach Recipe – Love and Lemons

This creamed spinach recipe features tender spinach in a rich, creamy sauce. It’s one of my family’s favorite side dishes for holiday meals!

This creamed spinach recipe is the most luxurious way to eat your greens. Inspired by Jack’s mom’s famous creamed spinach (a staple at Thanksgiving, Easter, and other family gatherings), it’s ultra-creamy, rich, and cheesy. If you ask me, it’s just as good as any steakhouse creamed spinach…if not better.

While many creamed spinach recipes call for frozen spinach, this one uses fresh. I love the silky texture of the whole, just-wilted leaves in the cream sauce. I think it makes this classic side dish feel a bit brighter and fresher.

Make it for a holiday or a simple weeknight dinner. This creamed spinach recipe is easy to make in under 30 minutes, so it’s a great addition to any meal.

Creamed Spinach Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamed spinach recipe:

• Spinach, of course! I call for 20 ounces fresh spinach here. I like the texture of baby spinach leaves best—if you’re using mature spinach, you may want to remove the stems before cooking. If you prefer to use frozen spinach, you’ll need 1 1/2 (10-ounce) packages, thawed and drained.
• Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour – They create a roux that thickens the cream sauce.
• Finely chopped shallots and garlic – For savory depth of flavor. Don’t have a shallot on hand? Yellow onion and garlic will also work here.
• Heavy cream – It forms the sauce’s rich, creamy base. Whole milk works too!
• Parmesan cheese – Some creamed spinach recipes call for cream cheese, but I like the flavor of Parmesan better. It’s salty, nutty, and umami—it makes this side dish so delicious!
• Fresh lemon juice – It’s not a traditional ingredient in creamed spinach, but I love the brightness it adds to this dish.
• And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Creamed Spinach

This creamed spinach recipe is easy to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, sauté the shallots and onion. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, salt, and a few grinds of pepper and cook until the shallots soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic.

Next, sprinkle in the flour. Stir to incorporate it with the butter and shallots.

Add the cream and simmer until it thickens, for 5 to 10 minutes over low heat. You want it to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Then, add the Parmesan. Stir until it melts into the sauce. At this point, it will be super creamy!

Finally, fold in the spinach. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to work in batches, letting some of the spinach wilt before stirring in more. As you cook the spinach, the leaves will release moisture into the sauce, which will thin it slightly. Once you add all the spinach, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens back up.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, plus the lemon juice. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Finely dice the shallot so that it melds into the sauce. I love its flavor here, but texturally, the silky spinach should be the star of this dish. If you cut the shallot into small pieces, it will almost disappear.
• Use a large skillet. 20 ounces of fresh spinach is quite a bit! Using a large pan will allow you to add more of the fresh leaves at once. Don’t worry—they’ll cook down once they’re incorporated into the sauce.
• Chop the spinach, if you like. I typically don’t chop the spinach when I make this recipe, but if you’re not a fan of the whole leaf texture, you can roughly chop it before stirring it into the cream.

More Vegetable Side Dishes

If you love this creamed spinach recipe, try one of these easy veggie side dishes next:

Creamed Spinach

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Serves 4 to 6

This easy creamed spinach recipe stars fresh spinach in a rich, cheesy sauce. It’s a delicious holiday side dish, but it’s simple enough to make on regular weeknights too.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook for 4 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, followed by the flour.

• Add the cream and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

• Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until just wilted. The sauce will thin out slightly from the water released by the spinach. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to thicken the sauce, then stir in the lemon juice.

• Season to taste and serve.