Steakhouse Creamed Spinach
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Squeeze the thawed spinach bone dry and the rest is easy: shallot and garlic, cream, fresh nutmeg, Parmesan stirred in off the heat. The aunt who says she doesn't like spinach is scraping the skillet.
The short version
Squeeze 2 pounds of thawed frozen leaf spinach bone dry. Soften shallot and garlic in butter, stir in a little flour, whisk in milk and cream, simmer until thick, then fold in the spinach with nutmeg and finish with Parmesan off the heat. About 30 minutes; don't skip the squeezing.
What makes ours better
the tricks Nonna pretends she never taught me
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Use frozen leaf spinach and squeeze it hard. Frozen leaf spinach is already blanched, so it skips washing and wilting two pounds of fresh leaves, and its texture is sturdier than chopped. Wringing it out in a towel is what keeps the sauce thick instead of green and watery.
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A spoon of flour in the sauce. Two tablespoons of flour cooked in the butter keep the cream from breaking on a buffet or when you reheat it the next day. It's not enough to taste, just enough to hold.
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Shallot instead of onion, fresh nutmeg at the end. Shallot gives a soft sweetness that sits quietly under the cream. A few scrapes of whole nutmeg is the classic steakhouse note; pre-ground tastes dusty by comparison.
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Parmesan off the heat. Stirred in after the pan comes off the burner, a little Parmesan melts smooth and adds salt and depth without turning the dish into cheese sauce.
What you need
the cast, in order of appearance
- Frozen leaf spinach2 pounds
- Unsalted butter3 tablespoons
- Shallots2 medium
- Garlic2 cloves
- All-purpose flour2 tablespoons
- Whole milk½ cup
- Heavy cream1½ cups
- Finely grated Parmesan½ cup
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Squeeze the spinach dry
Thaw the spinach in the fridge overnight or in the microwave in a covered bowl. Working in two batches, pile it in the middle of a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners and twist over the sink until only a few drops come out. You should be left with a dense, dark green ball. Pull it apart and chop it roughly.
Squeeze harder than you think. Water left in the spinach ends up in your sauce.
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Soften the shallot
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant; don't let anything brown.
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Cook the flour
Sprinkle the flour over the shallots and stir for 1 minute, until it coats everything and smells lightly toasty rather than raw.
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Whisk in the milk and cream
Slowly whisk in the milk, then the cream, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Fold in the spinach
Add the spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir until every bit of spinach is coated. Cook, stirring, until hot all the way through and the sauce clings to the leaves instead of pooling, 3 to 4 minutes.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Finish with Parmesan
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the Parmesan until it melts. Taste and add salt if it needs it; spinach soaks up seasoning. Serve hot.
If it looks too tight, loosen it with a splash of cream. If it looks loose, simmer a minute or two longer.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- To use fresh spinach, wilt 3 pounds of mature bunch spinach (stems trimmed) in batches in a large pot with a splash of water, cool, then squeeze and chop it as written. Baby spinach works but you'll need about 3 pounds and it's more water to wring out.
- To make it ahead, cook it up to a day early, cool and refrigerate. Reheat gently over low heat with a few tablespoons of cream, stirring, until hot.
- For a richer version, swap the milk for more cream. For a lighter one, use half-and-half instead of cream; the flour keeps it from going thin.
- The recipe doubles in a wide Dutch oven; give the sauce a couple of extra minutes to thicken.
- Storage. Refrigerated, covered, 3 days. Reheat over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring and adding a splash of cream. Freezing makes the sauce grainy, so skip it.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
Yes. Wilt about 3 pounds of fresh spinach, cool it, squeeze it dry and chop it, then follow the recipe. It tastes a little brighter, but frozen is easier and nearly as good in a cream sauce.
Why is my creamed spinach watery?
The spinach wasn't squeezed dry enough. Wring it in a towel until only drops come out. If the dish is already watery, simmer it a few minutes, stirring, until the sauce tightens.
Can I make creamed spinach ahead?
Yes, up to a day. Refrigerate it covered and reheat gently with a splash of cream. The small amount of flour keeps the sauce from separating.
Can I make it with cream cheese?
You can stir in 2 ounces of cream cheese with the spinach for a thicker, tangier version. We prefer the cream sauce, which tastes cleaner and lets the spinach and nutmeg come through.
How much spinach do I need?
Two pounds frozen, or about three pounds fresh, makes 6 to 8 side servings. Spinach shrinks to a fraction of its raw volume, so it always looks like too much at the start.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
be honest. I can take it. probably.
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Published October 26, 2026.