Easy Creamed Spinach

Easy creamed spinach is a steakhouse classic that’s far simpler at home than the menu price suggests. Fresh spinach wilts in just the water clinging to its leaves (no extra liquid added), then gets chopped fine and folded into a quick three-tablespoon bechamel made from butter, flour, and milk. Seven ingredients, half an hour from washing the leaves to plating.

The water-free wilt is the technique that earns this its ‘easy’ label. Boiling spinach in extra water dilutes the flavor and turns the leaves slimy. Wash the spinach, leave it dripping, throw it in a hot pan with a little salt, and the residual moisture steams it down to a fraction of its volume in two or three minutes. Press out the excess liquid before chopping or your bechamel goes thin.

The pinch of nutmeg is non-skippable. It’s the spice that makes creamed spinach taste like creamed spinach instead of just spinach in white sauce. The flavor is faint but unmistakable, and it elevates the whole dish from utilitarian side to something restaurant-quality.

Chef Tips

• Wash spinach in two changes of cold water. Sand hides in the crinkles and ruins a creamed dish more than anything.
• Chop the cooked spinach truly fine, almost paste-like, for the smoothest texture. Big leaves clump in the cream.
• Cook the roux a full minute before adding milk so the flour loses its raw taste.
• Use whole milk, not skim. Low-fat milk makes a watery bechamel.

Variations

• Stir in two tablespoons of grated parmesan at the end for a cheesy steakhouse twist.
• Swap a few tablespoons of milk for heavy cream for a richer side.
• Saute a minced shallot or garlic clove in the butter before adding flour for an aromatic base.
• Top with crispy shallots or breadcrumbs for crunch contrast.