Creamed Spinach is about as classic as it gets for a steakhouse side. It’s simple, yet indulgent. Special, yet cozy and down to earth. Something you want to sink your fork into between bites of a juicy steak.

With a few tips and tricks, it’s also pretty easy to bring this essential component of the steakhouse experience to your own dinner table. Get your serving dish ready!

Ingredients

• 907.18 g spinach leaves , cleaned (I often use baby spinach, but you can also use regular – see notes)*
• 484 g half and half (or whole milk)
• 88.72 g unsalted butter
• 44.36 g all purpose flour
• 80 g finely chopped yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 0.62 g freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Blanch the spinach in 2-3 batches (depending on the size of your pot), just until tender (about 30-40 seconds). Strain the spinach leaves out of the water and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to cool.
2. Drain well and press or squeeze excess water out of the spinach in a fine mesh sieve or a clean kitchen towel. (For the creamiest spinach don’t skip this step!) If desired, roughly chop the spinach.
3. In a large pot or deep skillet, melt butter until foaming subsides.
4. Add onions with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Saute until onions begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
5. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.
7. While continuing to stir, pour half and half into the pot in a steady stream.
8. Add an additional 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and cayenne pepper (if using).
9. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes.
10. Add spinach to the pot and stir well until well combined. It takes a bit of stirring to get all of the spinach leaves evenly coated with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little extra milk or half and half until your desired consistency is reached.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Cook’s Notes

• Baby spinach has a more delicate flavor than regular/mature spinach and will yield a milder dish. If you prefer a stronger spinach flavor, use regular spinach leaves, but make sure you clean them well and remove tough stems if buying in a bunch. Regular spinach should be chopped after blanching.
• You can also substitute an equal quantity of frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions and drained well.

Variations

• Make it Cheesy: Stir 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or more, to taste) into the sauce. Keep in mind that the cheese will thicken the sauce a bit, so you might have to add a little extra milk or cream, to taste, once the spinach is incorporated. The cheese will also add salt, so adjust your salt additions to taste.
• Make it Smoky: Chop 4-5 slices of thick-cut bacon and start the sauce by sautéing it until crisp in your skillet or pot. Remove the bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the pan. Add 1/4 cup unsalted butter and proceed with the recipe as written, stirring the crisped bacon back into the sauce when you add the spinach.
• Make it Nutty: Stir 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts into the spinach before serving