Creamed Spinach

Steakhouse creamed spinach gets its outsized reputation from doing one thing right: balancing the iron-y green flavor of spinach against rich, savory cream. This home version skips the heavy cream that fancy restaurants lean on and uses a milk-based bechamel instead, with bacon and onion ground fine and cooked into the base for layered savory depth. Squeezing the cooked spinach completely dry is the make-or-break step. Wet spinach waters down the sauce and gives you a watery, sad puddle on the plate. Press it hard between paper towels or in a clean kitchen towel until it stops releasing liquid. The bacon-and-onion grind is the move that separates this from a generic creamed spinach. Grinding finely means the flavor distributes through every bite without crunchy chunks. The 10-minute simmer thickens the bechamel into something glossy and substantial, and grinding the spinach fine before stirring it in gives you the smooth, almost puréed texture that classic steakhouse versions deliver.

Pro Tips

• Squeeze the cooked spinach until it feels like a tight, dry ball. Any moisture left will dilute the bechamel.
• Cook the bacon and onion until the bacon is fully crisp. Underdone bacon won’t render its flavor into the sauce.
• Whisk the flour into the bacon fat slowly to prevent lumps. Constant stirring is the key to a smooth roux.
• Add the milk gradually, whisking after each addition. Dumping it in all at once gives you a lumpy sauce.
• Adjust salt at the end. Bacon brings plenty of salt on its own, so taste before seasoning.

Variations

• Substitute heavy cream for half the milk for a richer, more steakhouse-style version.
• Add a pinch of grated nutmeg for the classic French touch.
• Stir in ¼ cup of grated parmesan or Gruyere at the end for cheesy creamed spinach.