Favorite Creamed Spinach Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and red chili flakes and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Heat until the cream is just beginning to bubble, stirring often. Turn the burner off and stir in sour cream and spinach. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with fried onions. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth; cook, stirring, until the mixture lightens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; whisk in the milk, 2 teaspoons salt and the nutmeg. Return to medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking. Remove from the heat again; stir to cool slightly.
• Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and cook about 3 minutes. Toss with tongs, then continue to wilt, uncovered, about 2 more minutes. Drain and cool slightly, then squeeze the spinach until dry. Coarsely chop.
• Gently reheat the sauce, then whisk in the whole egg and yolks; cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the spinach; heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• In batches, saute the spinach in a large saute pan over high heat until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic; cook until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the butter and flour; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil (it will thicken as comes to a boil). Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan, nutmeg and sauteed spinach.
• Serve immediately or hold in a low oven.

Steps:

• COOK THE SPINACH (if using fresh spinach): Heat a very large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add all the spinach with the water still clinging to its leaves, you may have to firmly pack it. Cover the pan tightly (weight the lid down, if necessary). Leave the spinach to cook for about 2 minutes, then turn it over so that the wilted leaves are on the top. Cover and repeat the process a few times more, until all spinach is nicely wilted. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Drain spinach and reserve the pot that you cooked the spinach inches DO NOT WASH OR WIPE CLEAN.
• If you don't have a salad spinner (OR if using frozen spinach), squeeze the spinach dry with your hands a little at a time, squeezing as much liquid as possible from the leaves. Use paper towels and gently blot the spinach to help it dry. Chop the spinach leaves coarsely and set aside.
• MAKE A ROUX: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, to make a loose paste. Cook for about 1 minute. As soon as it balls up into a paste, exchange the wooden spoon for a wire wisk and in a steady stream, whisk in the warm milk. Stir slowly, until the roux comes to a simmer, about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the cream, salt, and pepper, and stir for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese to melt.
• ONION MIXTURE: In the same skillet where the spinach was cooked, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
• ASSEMBLY: Add the cooked spinach and the cheese sauce to the pan and stir together over medium heat until well mixed and heated through. Taste for seasoning, and transfer to a heated and covered serving dish.