Creamed Spinach

Here is a simple creamed spinach recipe with heavy cream. Use as a vegetable side dish or inside a quiche, either way it is simple to make and delicious. Using fresh or this is how to cook frozen spinach many ways too.

I was making one of my favorite quiche recipes but couldn’t find my normal frozen spinach. Decided it was finally time to make easy creamed spinach so I wouldn’t ever have that issue again.

You can make this green leafy vegetable a number of ways. Our most popular is Instant Pot spinach. That is more plain without any sauce to it really. Still a great choice seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and healthier for sure but isn’t quite as creamy and delicous.

In order to make thicker dishes like a spinach dip or crustless mini quiche as we, you really need something denser like this. First let’s talk about the star of this dish though shall we?

If you have a vegetable garden at home you may have some growing as we speak. You can find this in the produce section of stores though year round so no worries if it isn’t in your back yard. Not frozen is best, always. You will get more texture and flavor in your end result.

You can make these leaves amazingly crispy with our air fryer spinach recipe as well. Totally different in the way that they come out as chips this way with hot air and just a bit of olive oil but a great alternative to regular snacks.

You only really need a few ingredients. The amount of heavy whipping cream used will vary depending on how much “sauce” you want to have. Onions, garlic and cook with some parmesan cheese to give it some great flavors. Let’s discuss this further.

What is creamed spinach made of?

Below we are going to focus on a bag of fresh spinach leaves. You could buy a block of frozen but you would want to follow the directions on the box to defrost as directed and then squeeze out liquid and cook as directed below.

To make this creamy you want some heavy cream, more or less depending on how thick you want it. I have included how much I think is right for us below but you can adjust for your preferences.

I add some minced garlic into all my dishes but this is optional. I don’t really add many other seasonings other than salt and pepper to taste but use your favorites.

The cheesy flavor you would expect is from grated or shredded fresh parmesan cheese.

And we continue with some salted butter for creaminess too. You could use a dairy free alternative but it isn’t as rich.

What can you use other than heavy cream to make creamed spinach?

If you wanted this to be dairy free you could use an alternative like cashew or almond milk but you’d need to thicken it up with a bit of cornstarch or flour roux / slurry. You could replace with an equal amount of milk and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to add richness. Half-and-half is a good middle ground, or use about 4 ounces of cream cheese per cup of heavy whipping cream.

On the stove you want a large skillet over medium heat to cook the spinach with the other items listed below in the recipe card. Use a wood spoon to cook stirring occasionally until thickened. If you want it quite dense to make air fryer quiche in a springform pan. With this method you would then you’d add less cream. Serving as an side dish? You can add more at the end until it’s the texture you want.

Here are some quick instructions. There are exact ingredients and a printable recipe with nutritional information below though too so keep scrolling down for that.

Made with Fresh Spinach

From scratch is always best that is is why we focus on it below. In the recipe card below features actual leaves fresh from the produce section. To make it like you see below you will essentially put the spinach inside with a lid to steam until super tender with a creamy ingredient such as heavy cream. Of course if you can’t have cheese you could leave that out. It does add a bit of thickness, and flavor of course, so it will alter the results.

with Frozen Spinach

If you only had a block of frozen you could still make this. The only real difference to the instructions would be that you’d want to follow the directions on the package to defrost the block first. Then add in with other ingredients to saute for less time. The end result will be softer than vs. using fresh leaves but works great as an alternative.

How do you Make Creamed Spinach Creamier?

There are many different ingredients you could add to this including cream cheese instead of parmesan. which is your best bet for an extra creamy really thick cream sauce. I suggest using fresh spinach to make this. If you use frozen you will need to defrost it first and remove the excess water. Without doing this it will come out runny.

Add the spinach when it says to do in the recipe card below. If you love creamed spinach this may become your go to recipe for a brunch idea or dinners throughout the week.

What do you serve this with?

Speaking about what you can serve with it I would recommend making prime rib or our air fryer roast. My go to is always a whole chicken in air fryer which is easy to throw together too.

How long does creamed spinach last in the fridge?

If you do have leftovers allow it to come to room temperature first. Then spoon it into a freezer bag or airtight container. Enjoy it again within 3 days for best results. Reheat spinach in a microwave safe bowls for about a minute stirring after 30 seconds. You could also put it back into a pan and heat on medium heat. Stir until it is warm and then enjoy some again the next day.

Our favorite easy creamed spinach recipe is to use it in our easy spinach quiche! That is why I created this in the first place. What is left can be transformed into various delicious dishes. Here are a few creative recipes to make the most of your leftover spinach:

What to Make with Leftover Creamed Spinach

If you want a great twist on the “old fashioned” you should try our tater tot crust with quiche inside!! Even my kids love it this way. I mean who doesn’t love tater tots period right??

Creamed Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms is made by removing the stems from button mushrooms and stuff them with your leftover creamed spinach. Top each mushroom with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is bubbly.

Spinach Quesadillas can be made with shredded cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, and grated cheese. Top with another tortilla and cook in a skillet until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted. Slice into wedges and serve with salsa or sour cream.

Spinach Omelette with leftover creamed spinach is great. Whisk eggs, pour them into a heated skillet, and add the creamed spinach on one half. Fold the other half of the omelette over the filling and cook until set.

Creamed Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts – Cut a pocket into boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Stuff the pockets with leftover creamed spinach and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the chicken with salt, pepper, and your choice of herbs. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through.

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