Creamed spinach is a popular side dish at steakhouses and is wonderful with roast meats and chicken. Baking the spinach in a delicious creamy parmesan sauce may convert even die-hard spinach-haters into fans.
Thawing and Drying Frozen Spinach
Frozen spinach is an excellent alternative to fresh because it’s inexpensive and easy to prepare. Because fresh spinach cooks down so much, buying frozen is more efficient than trimming and cooking large quantities of fresh leaves. Most supermarkets carry frozen spinach in the frozen vegetable section.
To Thaw Spinach: The frozen package can be placed in the fridge to thaw overnight. However, the quickest way is in the microwave: Remove the frozen spinach from its packaging and place the frozen spinach in a bowl. Heat in one-minute increments. Check on it after each minute and break it up as it begins to thaw. Continue until the spinach is just thawed but isn’t hot.
To Dry the Spinach: Thawed spinach gives off a lot of water. To remove most of the water, place the spinach in a colander over the sink. Use a double-layered paper towel to press on the spinach until most of the water has been squeezed out. Alternately, place the spinach into the centre of a clean dishtowel. Hold over the sink and twist the top tightly, until the spinach forms a ball and the water is squeezed out.
Creamy Spinach Gratin
Serves 6 as a side dish
- 1-1/2 cups thawed frozen spinach (about 10 oz. thawed– will be about 20 oz. before thawing)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1-1/2 cups half-and-half
- ¾ cup packed grated parmesan cheese (about 2.5 oz/70 g) before grating
- 1 garlic clove, very finely minced
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit if baking immediately.
- Ensure the thawed spinach is as dry as possible (see tips above). Place the spinach on a cutting board and use a large, sharp knife to chop the leaves into small pieces. (Note: it’s worth doing this even if the frozen spinach is labeled as ‘Chopped’ – often the cut pieces are still quite large). Set the chopped spinach aside.
- In a saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until thoroughly combined and it makes a paste with the butter. Continue to cook for about 90 seconds, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Slowly pour in the half-and-half, whisking the mixture continuously. Cook until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Let the mixture cook for another minute or two, until the cheese has melted.
- Add the minced garlic, nutmeg and the chopped spinach to the sauce and stir until thoroughly combined and the spinach is fully incorporated into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the spinach mixture into a small casserole dish or loaf pan. *Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is browned and bubbling. (*the gratin can be poured into a dish, covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking).
- Serve with roast meats or chicken.
Trish Coleman - Trish grew up in a small town in New Brunswick, Canada and her family ate fresh home cooked meals every night. Her family grew most of ...
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