Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach has always seemed a little scary to me. I think it's the word 'creamed' that used to get me. Should any food be creamed? Then I got a free issue of the magazine "Cuisine at Home" in the mail (you know, a free-bee that will hopefully get you to subscribe). Inside was a recipe for creamed spinach, and darnit if it didn't look really good. I decided I'd better try it. Besides, how did I know I didn't like it if I've never tried it? (Don't tell my 7 year-old.)

I made it as part of our Valentine's Day dinner, and it was WONDERFUL! I don't use all caps very often, but this dish deserves it. If you already like creamed spinach you will love this. If you're not so sure about it, give this a try; I think you'll be convinced.

I made a couple changes: I used a 12-oz bag of frozen chopped spinach instead of the 10-oz box called for; I couldn't get Boursin cheese at my store and substituted a tub of garlic-herb Alouette cheese; I used dried bread crumbs instead of fresh bread crumbs for the topping (I know, I know, but I was making a big dinner and didn't want to take the time to make the fresh crumbs). Another note, I wish I'd used a smaller baking dish (should've trusted the recipe); my dish was too big so the layer of yum was pretty thin.

Did I already say it was good? It was so good. But it's not especially good for you. I'm going to see if I can make a version that's a little less bad ;)

Creamed Spinach (adapted from Cuisine at Home)
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 6.5-oz tub Alouette Garlic & Herbs spreadable cheese
1 12-oz bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
couple dashes nutmeg
couple dashes cayenne
2/3 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs (wish I used these)
1 tablespoon butter melted
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Heat your oven to 425. Spray a 2-cup baking dish (wish I'd used this one) with non-stick spray.

2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the 1 tablespoon butter and onion, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, and stir to coat the onion. Cook 1 more minute. Whisk in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer the sauce for 1 minute.

3. Add the Alouette cheese and stir until it's melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the spinach, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and seasonings, and mix well (make sure the spinach is fully incorporated). Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

4. Combine the bread crumbs, melted butter, and olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the spinach. Put the dish on a baking sheet and bake until the crumbs are nicely browned and the sauce is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Makes about 2 cups.

**Note: I'm sure you could serve this straight from the skillet if you didn't need the bread crumbs. I might cook it a little longer on the stove if I wasn't going to bake it in the oven.

I did not figure out the nutritional information. I did not want to know.