Creamed Spinach is your new favorite side dish. What it lacks in looks, it makes up for in dreamy, creamy, bright flavor. It is the perfect plate unifier; it brings together all the other elements of your meal, especially between your mashed potatoes and perfectly seared steak. But it also ties together your Thanksgiving plate beautifully. It comes together quick and you can make it ahead!

A wooden bowl filled with creamy spinach dip topped with Parmesan shavings, served with a slice of rustic bread and a wedge of lemon on the side.

Are you READY? It’s a cook’s Superbowl next week, guys.

Are you making and freezing your gravy ahead? (do it do it) Have you picked out your roll recipe? Bought your turkey? You will need to thaw it soon!

Have you sharpened your can opener for it’s last minute job of cracking open the can of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce that Uncle Nathan still insists on, even though you will be making both Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Orange Relish? (Oh, is this just my house? 😂)

I hope you are signed up for my emails, because I always send out tons of ideas for what to make around the holidays. Sign up here!

There’s a new kid on the block guys, let me introduce you. His name is Creamed Spinach and I have a major crush.

Close-up of creamy spinach dip with visible cheese shavings, held up by a wooden spoon. A wedge of lemon is positioned on the side of the dish.

Creamed Spinach might be your new crush

Creamed Spinach is a side dish made of cooked spinach in a smooth, ultra-rich cream sauce. The best way to enjoy spinach, right?? I mean how can we go wrong here, with a vegetable that often feels a little like dinosaur food. The cheese and butter counter balance the sometimes bitter spinach, and all that added richness and fat amps up the flavor (along with shallots, garlic, and seasonings). It’s best known for being a side dish to meats. You can usually find it on a steakhouse menu.

But did you know that Creamed Spinach is also The Great Uniter of Thanksgiving side dishes?? And I mean that literally, like on your plate where the turkey and stuffing are competing for space. You know how there is never quite enough room for everything? Here’s my plate from last year:

A plate filled with Thanksgiving food including turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, a dinner roll, a deviled egg, and colorful desserts, with a pink drink beside it.

Sparkling Christmas Slush is the drink; and then starting at the top left of the plate: Big Fat Crescent Rolls; Classic Deviled Eggs; Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing; Aunt Shirley’s Mashed Potatoes; Make Ahead Gravy; Sage Butter Turkey; plain ol peas; Make Ahead Green Beans; Seafoam Salad is on the bottom left, both red and green flavors; above that is Sweet Potato Casserole with streusel, and one corner of the pan with marshmallows to please everyone 🤣; Classic Cranberry Sauce is in the center of the plate, and there is a lighter colored cranberry sauce that I make every year that is more of a relish and it’s my fav, it’s on this ancient post Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish.

This was back in the dark ages, before I discovered Creamed Spinach. But THIS year? This year, this whole plate is going to have a Creamed Spinach undertone. It’s going to bring together those potatoes and that stuffing together like they were twins separated at birth. The Sweet Potatoes and the Cranberry Sauce are going to find the best friend they never knew, all because of this Creamed Spinach is bringing them together like the Glue person in your friend group.

It’s exactly like Joy’s Creamy Cucumber Salad, our favorite summer side dish. Eric always says the best part about a summer meal of Nana’s Ribs and Mac and Cheese is the Cucumber Salad drenching everything together on the plate. Creamed Spinach is the holiday version!

Close-up of creamy spinach dip with visible herbs and cheese, topped with pieces of crusty bread for dipping.

Why I love creamed spinach

Here’s a break down of what we’re looking at:

a roux made with shallots and garlic
that turns into a white sauce spiked with nutmeg and parmesan and lemon
and finally, a full pound of chopped spinach wilts beautifully into the sauce to make a delicious, creamy side dish that is the BEST compliment to a nicely seared Ribeye Steak.

When done well, creamed spinach is smooth and silky, with a bright, creamy flavor that compliments so many main courses.

Here are the show stopper ingredients

A collection of cooking ingredients on a countertop, including flour, heavy whipping cream, milk, pecorino cheese, baby spinach, black pepper, a lemon, garlic, nutmeg, butter, and a wooden salt container.

Let’s go over the power house ingredients in creamed spinach that make it so darn delicious!

Butter adds so much flavor, and richness too. Don’t use margarine! The other day my 9 year old asked, mom, what’s margarine? Ain’t never been more proud, folks 😂 I grew up on margarine and nonfat milk!
Shallots and Garlic thank you, aromatics, for your gift of mega flavor
Pecorino Romano cheese Parmesan totally works too, so use that if you already have it. Buying the whole block and shredding your own is best, it melts into your creamed spinach SO much better.
Heavy cream creates a smooth, luxurious sauce for the spinach. Make sure you’re not getting coffee creamer, the container should say heavy cream, whipping cream, or even heavy whipping cream
Lemon, both zest and juice, to add a little acidity and brighten the whole dish. Don’t skip it! Buy a real fresh lemon!

Step by step photo guide

Let’s get started chopping up our aromatics! I don’t know what kind of charlatan decided to call them “aromatics.” That sounds like we’re smellin’ roses over here. They really should be called “the ingredients that instantly make you cry.” Shallots are actually brutal. Wear your swim goggles! (It helps a ton to protect your eyes.)

Two photos of a wooden cutting board with a knife. One shows unpeeled and chopped garlic and shallots; the other shows finely chopped garlic and shallots in separate piles.

Set that aside and measure out all the spices you need.

A small bowl of spices and measuring spoons on a counter, and a saucepan with melting butter, chopped onions, and spices being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Add the shallots and spices to the pan and saute for a few minutes until they are soft. Add in the garlic and let that cook for about a minute, until it smells AROMATIC 🙄🤣

Two images: The top shows chopped onions and minced garlic being sautéed in a pan with a wooden spoon. The bottom shows the same mixture with flour and a small piece of butter added to the pan.

Then add in the flour and stir it up until it has absorbed all the butter.

Two images: Top, cooked ground sausage is stirred in a skillet with a wooden spoon. Bottom, milk is being poured from a measuring cup into the skillet with the sausage mixture.

SLOWLY pour in the milk and cream. If you rush this process, you could end up with lumps of flour in your creamed spinach, and that’s just the kind of tragedy that starts fights on Thanksgiving, so don’t go there. Make sure all the milk/cream is absorbed into the flour before adding any more.

Two images of a metal skillet with a wooden spoon stirring a mixture. The top image shows cream being added to the mixture, while the bottom image shows the mixture after it has been stirred together.

Keep going…

Two images: The top shows creamy liquid being poured into a skillet of thick, speckled gravy and stirred with a wooden spoon. The bottom shows a close-up of the spoon lifting a portion of the finished gravy.

Until you have a gorgeous white sauce. Go ahead, give it a taste. I would gladly bathe in this. This is basically the same sauce as Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. YUM.

Now the fun part: dump dinosaur levels of spinach on top of this hot mess. I like to chop my spinach first, but it’s totally optional. I like small pieces. But it’s an extra step, and sometimes you just gotta git er done, so you do you boo.

Two images: The top shows a pan with chopped spinach on a creamy sauce, and a wooden spoon. The bottom shows the spinach stirred into the creamy mixture, creating a thick, green spinach dip.

Don’t add it all at once. Add in about half and stir it in…

Two images show a pot of creamy spinach mixture being stirred with a wooden spoon. The top image shows the mixture fully stirred, while the bottom shows a pile of fresh chopped spinach being added.

Then dump the rest on top. Mix it all in until fully wilted.

Then, the finishing touches. Start with some Parmesan cheese:

A pan filled with creamy spinach dip is topped with a pile of shredded cheese, and a wooden spoon rests inside the mixture. The pan sits on a wooden surface.

Then zest and juice a lemon and add that in. I love the bright finish this adds to this dish, which can be overly heavy (and creamy, hello)

A small bowl of lemon zest, a lemon, and a zester sit on a countertop. Below, a hand squeezes a lemon over a pot of creamy spinach, stirring with a wooden spoon.

The lemon adds just the right acidic touch. I love it.

A close-up of creamy spinach artichoke dip topped with shaved parmesan, served with a slice of crusty bread and a lemon wedge.

Also, DON’T sleep on this dish as a dip. I’m just saying. I tested a lot of Creamed Spinach recipes preparing for this post, and it is a phenomenal dip with pita chips or a baguette. I mean, it’s very similar to Spinach Artichoke Dip, so we shouldn’t be surprised here! All this creamy goodness is begging to be scooped up!

Tips for making creamed spinach

Don’t add the milk and cream to your roux too quickly! You will have lumps of flour if you go too fast. Add milk just a little at a time.
Do not let the creamed spinach come to a boil, or it could break the sauce. Just a low, gentle simmer is what you want.
Use a fresh lemon! The bottle stuff isn’t as good. I mean, do I really need to say this?? Lemons last a long time in the fridge, I just keep them on hand.

Variations to try

You can always make this recipe with frozen spinach! You will have to thaw it completely, more on that below.
Sear some chicken breasts, similar to how I do it for Chicken Alfredo, remove from the pan, then make the creamed spinach as directed, adding the chicken in at the end. Serve with pasta! I can’t wait to try this!
Serve leftovers as a dip with a baguette!

A close-up of a spoonful of creamy spinach artichoke dip, showing chopped spinach and bits of artichoke in a thick, cheesy sauce with visible seasoning flecks.

Can I make this with frozen spinach?

Yes you can, but there is some squeezin’ involved. Frozen spinach has a lot of water content, so you need to let the spinach thaw, then squeeze out as much moisture from the spinach as possible.

I like to put it all in an old, clean rag (make sure it’s old, because it’ll dye it Elphaba-green) and then squeeze the liquid out through the rag. The recipe calls for 16 ounces of spinach, and the frozen packages are usually 10 ounces each, so you will need about 1 and 1/2 packages.

I prefer to make the recipe with fresh spinach because it’s actually fewer steps!

Here’s what to serve with creamed spinach

I mean truly, I think this could be served with any main dish comfort meal and I’d scarf it up. But my favorite way is alongside show stopper meat entrees (with other sides) for the holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and also in the summer at a good cook out. Check out some of these amazing main dishes to pair up with creamed spinach!

Beef Recipes

Prime Rib Recipe To Impress Your Guests

Beef Recipes

Tri Tip Steak (Grilled or Oven-Roasted)

Beef Recipes

Ribeye Steak Recipe (Grilled or Pan-Seared)

Easter Recipes

Texas Beef Brisket In The Oven

The Ultimate Beef Wellington Recipe from Serious Eats
Grilled Korean BBQ Chicken from The Real Food Dieticians

How to store leftovers

Leftover creamed spinach should be added to an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator. Due to all the cream and cheese, it should not be left out at room temperature for more than an hour or two before refrigerating. It will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To reheat, add the creamed spinach to a small pot or non stick pan and warm over low heat, stirring regularly, until heated through. You can also heat individual servings on a plate in the microwave for 1-2 minutes at 50% power.

I also love creamed spinach leftovers as a dip for a baguette or Pita chips!

One last thing… creamed spinach works great as a make ahead side dish for holidays or other events! Just make it, store it per the instructions above for a day or two before the big day, and rewarm just before serving.

Close-up of creamy spinach dip in a wooden bowl, topped with shaved parmesan cheese and a lemon wedge. The dip has a rich, smooth texture with visible bits of spinach.

Can you freeze it?

I don’t recommend it. Spinach has a really high water content, and cream sauces tend to separate during freezing and thawing process. That means you could end up with water, grainy-textured creamed spinach. Ew. Even at its best, frozen-then-thawed creamed spinach is just not nearly as tasty as freshly made and since it’s a fairly simple recipe to make, I prefer making it fresh.

That being said, if you’re in a pinch or don’t mind a texture change, it is possible to freeze. Cool the creamed spinach, then transfer it to a freezer ziplock bag. It will stay good in the freezer for about 2-3 months. To use from the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When defrosted, add all the contents of the bag into a sauce pan and use a whisk (a flat whisk is best, if you have one) to remix the sauce as it warms. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of cream or half and half (or milk will do fine) to help it come together.

More amazing vegetable side dishes

We love a good entrée, but the sides can really make or break a meal — especially big ticket dinners like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Time to pull out the show-stopper side dishes and salads! I’ve listed below some that I absolutely love, but if you want more ideas you can look around the blog on the Side Dish & Veggies recipe page!