Easy Creamed Spinach with Gruyère
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This easy creamed spinach starts with a mountain of fresh baby spinach that’s steamed, squeezed dry, and folded into a Gruyère and Parmesan cream sauce in one skillet. It’s rich enough to share a plate with holiday ham or a good steak. Since it never goes near the oven, it’s the side that saves you when every rack is spoken for.
You can make creamed spinach with frozen spinach, and plenty of recipes do. But Melinda and I prefer fresh baby spinach for the best taste. The leaves stay tender and bright green instead of cooking down into a uniform paste. The cheese matters just as much. Gruyère is one of our favorite cheeses, and it’s what gives this sauce its nutty flavor and smooth, creamy texture, with a little Parmesan for a salty finish.
The method has one small trick that sets it apart. Most of the half-and-half goes into the cheese sauce, but you hold back a splash and stir it in at the very end. That last bit loosens everything into a creamy, spoonable side right before it hits the table. The whole thing comes together on the stovetop while your main dish rests, so it works just as well for a Tuesday steak night as it does for Thanksgiving.
Serve it along with your slow cooker turkey breast (or the Instant Pot version), or ham (we have an Instant Pot version for that too!), dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes (don’t forget the gravy!) or sweet potatoes, and some creamed corn casserole for the perfect holiday dinner!
If you like this you’ll love our simple stove top creamed corn too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Fresh baby spinach – Baby spinach has tender leaves and thin stems, so there’s no trimming. It cooks down to a fraction of its size, which is why the recipe calls for so much.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted both work. If you use salted, taste before adding all of the salt at the end.
- Onion – Finely diced so it melts into the sauce. A yellow onion is a good everyday choice.
- Garlic – Just one clove, enough to add flavor without taking over.
- Nutmeg – A pinch is all you need. It’s a classic partner for spinach and cream, and nobody should be able to pick it out.
- Flour – All-purpose flour thickens the cheese sauce. A gluten-free all-purpose blend is an option if you need one.
- Half-and-half – This is divided. Most goes into the sauce, and a little is saved to loosen the spinach right before serving. Light cream or whole milk can stand in if that’s what you have.
- Gruyère – Our favorite cheese here for its nutty flavor and smooth melt. Shred it yourself from a block.
- Parmesan – Use shredded Parmesan from a block or the refrigerated case, not the shelf-stable grated kind, which doesn’t melt smoothly.
- Kosher salt and black pepper – Both cheeses bring salt, so season at the end and taste as you go.
How to Make Creamed Spinach
Step 1 – Steam the spinach. Steam the baby spinach until it’s wilted and tender, just a couple of minutes. You may need to work in batches with this much spinach. It’s ready when the leaves have fully collapsed and turned a deep, bright green. Pull it before it turns dull and olive-colored.
Step 2 – Squeeze out the liquid. Let the spinach cool until you can handle it, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Press it firmly in a colander, or twist it in a clean kitchen towel. Keep going until only a few drops come out. This step is what keeps your creamed spinach from turning runny once the sauce goes in.
Step 3 – Soften the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent. If the garlic starts to brown, turn the heat down a notch.
Step 4 – Cook the flour. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture should look like damp sand, turn a light golden color, and smell slightly toasty. Cooking it this long takes away the raw flour taste.
Step 5 – Build the sauce. Slowly pour in 2 cups of the half-and-half and add a pinch of nutmeg, while whisking constantly so no lumps form. Keep whisking for 3 to 5 minutes as the sauce thickens. It’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon and your whisk leaves trails that slowly fill back in.
Step 6 – Melt in the cheese. Stir in the Gruyère and Parmesan until they’ve completely melted and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
Step 7 – Add the spinach. Add the squeezed spinach, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat every bit of spinach in sauce, breaking up any tight clumps with your spoon.
Step 8 – Loosen and serve. Pour in the remaining ¼ cup of half-and-half and stir until the mixture loosens into a creamy, spoonable consistency with no liquid pooling in the pan. Serve right away.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Squeeze harder than you think you need to. Leftover water in the spinach is the most common reason creamed spinach turns soupy. If your finished dish looks wet, the spinach is almost always the culprit, not the sauce.
- Keep the heat gentle once the cheese goes in. Gruyère melts beautifully over moderate heat but can turn grainy or oily if the sauce boils hard. Shredding your own cheese also helps, since pre-shredded cheese is coated to keep it from clumping and doesn’t melt as smoothly.
- Treat the reserved half-and-half as your adjustment knob. If the spinach sits for a few minutes while you carve the turkey and tightens up, that last splash brings it right back to creamy.
Fresh vs. Frozen Spinach
You can use frozen spinach, but we prefer fresh baby spinach for the best taste.
If you go with frozen:
- Thaw it completely and skip the steaming step.
- Squeeze it even harder than fresh, since frozen spinach holds a lot of water.
- Expect a finer, more uniform texture. Frozen spinach is usually chopped, so it won’t have the tender whole leaves you get from fresh.
As a starting point, about 16 ounces of frozen spinach can stand in for the fresh spinach in this recipe.
Best Cheese for Creamed Spinach
Gruyère is our favorite here because it gives the sauce a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and melts into a silky texture. If you can’t find it, these swaps work:
- Swiss is the closest match.
- White cheddar makes it sharper and tangier.
- Mozzarella keeps it mild and a little stretchier.
Whatever you use, keep the Parmesan. It adds the salty, savory finish.
Variations & Customizations
- Add bacon (simple add-in). Stir crumbled, crispy cooked bacon in right before serving so it stays crunchy. For a smokier sauce, cook the onion in a spoonful of bacon drippings in place of part of the butter. That changes the flavor of the whole dish, not just the topping.
- Make it a bubbly gratin (adds a step). Spoon the finished creamed spinach into an oven-safe dish, top with extra shredded Gruyère, and slide it under the broiler until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Watch it closely, since broilers work fast. Note that this version does use the oven.
- Add a little heat (simple swap). Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne along with the salt and pepper.
- Use a shallot (simple swap). A finely diced shallot in place of the onion gives a milder, slightly sweeter flavor.
What to Serve with Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach is a natural partner for big holiday mains. Since it cooks entirely on the stovetop, it’s easy to make while a honey glazed ham finishes in the oven. It’s also easy alongside a slow cooker turkey breast, which leaves your oven free for everything else.
It’s also the classic steakhouse side. Serve it with an air fryer steak for an easy weeknight steak dinner, or with red wine braised short ribs when you want something cozy and special. Add a scoop of mashed potatoes and you’ve got a plate that tastes like a night out.
Make Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Creamed spinach is a great make-ahead holiday side. Cook it completely, let it cool, and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat it just before dinner.
Store: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in an airtight container. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Reheat:
- Stovetop: Warm it in a pot over low heat, stirring often and adding a splash of half-and-half if it seems thick or dry.
- Microwave: Heat it in short bursts, stirring in between.
- Either way, heat it until it’s steaming hot all the way through (165°F).
Freezing: We don’t recommend it. The dairy-based sauce can change texture and turn grainy once it thaws.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Baby spinach cooks down nice and tender, so you don’t have to worry about trimming the stems.
Yes. Mature spinach has thicker, tougher stems, so pull those off before steaming. The leaves are also larger and sturdier, so chop them roughly after squeezing so they mix evenly into the sauce.
First, check the spinach. If it wasn’t squeezed well, its water is thinning the sauce. Let the creamed spinach simmer gently for a minute or two, stirring, so some of that moisture cooks off. Don’t crank the heat, or the cheese can separate. If it’s too thick instead, stir in a little more half-and-half.
Yes. Heavy cream makes the sauce richer and thicker, so you may want a little extra at the end to loosen it to a creamy, spoonable texture.
Not as written, because the sauce is thickened with all-purpose flour. A gluten-free all-purpose flour blend is an option if you need it. Check that your cheeses are gluten-free too.
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Easy Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 25 ounces Fresh Baby Spinach
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Onion, finely diced
- 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons Flour
- 2 1/4 cups Half and Half, divided
- 1/2 cup Gruyere, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Steam fresh baby spinach until wilted and tender.
- Squeeze all of the excess liquid from the spinach.
- In a skillet over medium heat melt butter then add onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions become translucent.
- Sprinkle flour into skillet whisking for 1-2 minutes until flour lightly browns.
- Slowly add 2 cups of half and half and the pinch of nutmeg, whisking continuously until the sauce begins to thicken, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in Gruyere and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted.
- Add the spinach, salt, and pepper to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup half and half stirring until the mixture has loosened up in consistency.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Would you believe that I’ve never tried creamed spinach?! This looks amazing – got room for one more at your Thanksgiving table? #client
Sure come on over I’ll make extra for you! 🙂
What does one do with all the spines in the baby spinach?
Baby spinach cooks down nice and tender so you don’t have to worry about cutting out the spines.
One of my favorites!!!
Can you make this ahead of time ?? For the day after
Yes, you can make this ahead of time. You can store it in a covered container in the refrigerator and then heat up by microwaving or heating slowly over low heat in a pot on the stove. You can add a little extra cream if it begins to dry out.