Best Creamed Spinach Recipe (from Frozen)

Best Creamed Spinach Recipe (from Frozen)

This detailed recipe for creamed spinach, thickened with béchamel, can be made quickly and easily. The main ingredient in this delicious dish is frozen spinach, which is always readily available at grocery stores.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Vegetable Recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings portions

Calories 181kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

20 ounces frozen spinach
½ stick unsalted butter
½ onion peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
⅔ cups whole milk
⅓ cup heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Let 20 ounces frozen spinach thaw first. Fill a large bowl with hot water and place the unwrapped packet of frozen spinach in it. Once the water cools, drain it and refill the bowl with hot water. This method will gently defrost the spinach within half an hour. Once thawed, remove the spinach from the packet and transfer it to a colander placed over a bowl. Let the excess water drain off.
Make béchamel base. Peel and finely chop ½ onion. Peel and press 3 cloves garlic. Melt ½ stick unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for about three minutes until soft. Add 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and stir for a minute. Remove from heat and gradually pour in ⅔ cups whole milk mixed with ⅓ cup heavy cream, whisking to avoid lumps. Lower the heat, return the pot to the stove, and simmer the béchamel for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the saucepan from the heat source and gradually pour in the milk mixed with heavy cream, whisking carefully to prevent lumps. Lower the heat, return the pot to the stove, and let the béchamel simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the drained spinach to the béchamel cream sauce, stir, and let it warm for about five minutes. Season with salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper to taste.
Mix the spinach with an immersion blender until it is silky smooth. Finally, add ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and you're done!

Notes

The basic recipe makes 4-6 portions as a side dish.
SERVING: Serve hot as a side dish to pork roast, smoked meat slices, braised beef cubes, or similar meals.
Storage: Let the spinach cool completely, then store it in a covered container in the fridge. It will keep for up to five days.
Béchamel sauce: This recipe features béchamel, a classic white sauce from French cuisine. The essential ingredients for making béchamel are butter, flour, and whole milk. If you're wondering why your spinach is runny and how to thicken it, béchamel is the perfect solution!

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