Steakhouse Style Creamed Spinach
Steakhouse style creamed spinach is a rich, creamy, low carb side dish that’s just like the kind you’d find at an expensive steak house. It’s packed with high nutrition and great taste, so grab your apron and come on into the kitchen… I’ll show you how easy it is to make this yourself!
I may not be in the majority, but I’m one of those people who grew up HATING spinach and now I absolutely love it! Warm, cold, in salad or lasagna, and even in smoothies, I’m pretty much smitten with it. For the most part, it’s because I’ve eaten so much of it since being diagnosed with Pernicious Anemia. Spinach is an incredible source of iron, and because my body doesn’t absorb nutrients the way it should, I have to eat LOTS of iron-rich foods. I won’t touch liver with a 10-foot pole, so this recipe for steakhouse style creamed spinach is my go-to for an iron infusion 🙂
Unless you’ve been severely out of touch with the world, I’m sure you know that spinach is good for you. Here are a few tidbits of information to help you #FeedYourSpirit and your brain!
FOOD FACTS ~ SPINACH
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It’s native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant, which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions. Wikapedia
- Spinach has an extremely high nutritional value and is rich in antioxidants. It’s a good source of vitamins A, B2, C and K. It also contains magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium and potassium.
- 1 cup of raw spinach has just 7 calories, NO fat, 1 gram of protein, and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates (sugar)
- The flavonoids and antioxidants found in spinach, particularly the antioxidant beta-carotene, have been shown in multiple studies to help combat many cancers, including breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. Spinach also boosts eye health and has strong anti-ageing properties.
Make sure to bookmark or Pin this recipe so that you have it handy, because I’ll be posting a new recipe this Thursday that uses this creamed spinach recipe! Better yet, use this form to give me your email address and I’ll send you the recipe as soon as it’s published! Free recipes, straight to your inbox = WINNER WINNER, a YUMMI dinner! 🙂
RECIPE FOR STEAKHOUSE STYLE CREAMED SPINACH
Steakhouse Style Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh spinach (regular or baby) stems removed
- 1 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large garlic cloves peeled and finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum**
- 3 liquid ounces (1/3 cup) half & half (or whole milk)
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- â…› teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- small pinch sea or kosher salt (more if desired)
- â…› teaspoon ground black pepper
- â…› teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place the spinach in a colander and rinse with cold water (even if it’s bagged and says it’s pre-washed); allow to drain slightly.
- Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the wet spinach to it. Season with salt and cover with a lid. Stir occasionally and cook until wilted 2-3 minutes (you can also steam in a microwave, if desired).
- Transfer steamed spinach into a colander set in a sink and allow it to sit until it’s cool to the touch. Then, grab handfuls of spinach and squeeze as much water as you can from it (as if you were packing a snowball). Transfer balls of spinach to a cutting board and roughly chop.
- Melt butter over medium heat in the same large skillet, then add minced garlic and saute until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the Xanthan gum or flour and stir until pale and smooth, about a minute. Whisk in half & half and cream in a steady stream, reduce heat to low, and cook until the sauce is smooth and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach back to the pan. Toss to combine with the cream sauce, add the pinch of red pepper flakes (if using) and dust with a grating of fresh nutmeg. Add grated cheese and stir to incorporate. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
I love creamed spinach and your recipe looks amazing!!! Classic and delish. You rocked this, Becca!
You are so sweet…and up SO early, Liz! 😉 Thank you, my friend!
I love creamed spinach. Your recipes looks fabulous. Looking forward to trying it.
Thanks, Isabel! I’m having a great time at the #SundaySupper table with everyone!
I adore creamed spinach and I’ve never had a good recipe for it. I’ve tried a few and they came up short. There’s more flour in yours and with the addition of parmesan I bet this is a winner. Pinned. Nice cooking with you for Sunday Supper.
It’s very rich and creamy, Lea Ann… I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Spinach is one of my favorite greens. I love the bright green color on your completed dish. Nice recipe!
Thank you so much, Renee! It was nice “cooking” with you for #SundaySupper this week!
Mm spinach has always be one of my favorites, and it is so good for you! Great recipe!
It’s definitely a favorite of mine too, Shaina! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I usually make my lighter version of creamed spinach as more of an everyday side, but I LOVE the idea of using xanthan gum instead of flour to thicken it for when I want to make a richer, more indulgent version!
I’ll admit that this is NOT an “eat me every day” dish (unless you ENJOY having hips as wide as a doorway!), but as an indulgence every now and then… absolutely! By the way, Brianne, the xanthan gum as a thickener works AMAZINGLY well, but it’s thickening powers in sauces are really strong, so a little goes a long way! The small amount I used in this recipe was ALMOST too much!
I’m obsessed with spinach too and hope to see a lot of it in this week’s Sunday Supper!
I’m lovin’ all of the spinach rocking the #SundaySupper table too, Jen!
YUM! I love how healthy this and it’s such a beautiful green color! This is just perfect for an afternoon snack!
Thank you, Jennifer! Now that you mention it, I think the leftovers are still in the fridge! SCORE 🙂
I’ve never had creamed spinach…and now this is the second recipe I’m reading for it this morning. It’s a sign! Thanks for sharing. I’m excited to be part of this #SundaySupper crew.
Camilla, even if you think you’re not much of a spinach lover, I think you’ll ADORE creamed spinach! It’s the base for a good spinach artichoke dip, so if you like that, you’ll enjoy this, too 🙂
Your picture is gorgeous. The color of this creamed spinach is enough to put this on my must-make list.
I did not know that 1 cup of raw spinach was only 7 calories. I don’t even care how many more calories are added when I include the rest of the ingredients!
You’re so sweet, Betsy… Thank you! By the way, the “rest of the calories” are quite wicked, but hey… it’s a vegetable, so we’re allowed to eat and enjoy it, right? 😉
I’ve never had creamed spinach but this looks great!
I hope you’ll have the chance to try it some time, Hezzi! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I remember the first time I had creamed spinach in a restaurant. I thought I’d hate it, but I fell in love after one bite. This is calling my name!
It’s deceptive, isn’t it, Laura?! I think it’s a decadent treat that I’ll choose over a brownie any day 😉
I grew up hating spinach and love it now too. I’m so excited to see my picky eater kids start to like it as well. It’s so healthy and so versatile. This is a great option for a spinach recipe. Thanks, Chef Bec.
I’ve been trying to get my little one to like spinach. She had a nibble or two of the creamed spinach I made recently, but it didn’t have parmesan like yours — bet that would help!
Spinach is one of those veggies that can taste really bitter to tiny taste buds. I’ve actually used cream cheese instead of heavy cream for a slightly less bitter taste, Colleen. Hope your little one grows to love it 🙂
I love how you lightened this up, but kept the integrity of the dish. I will definitely be trying your version as it is one of our indulgences at steakhouses!
I think it’s impossible to make something as decadent as this being completely healthy, but at least making it this way will allow you some breathing room in your pants after dinner, Christy! LOL
I grew up loving and am still a spinach fan. Maybe more so after reading your good-for-you facts and your recipe, Becca!
Yay! It makes my heart so happy to hear that our beloved spinach is no longer the lonely kid at the lunch table, Kim! 🙂
All the health benefits are just a bonus, Becca! I love everything about creamed spinach and yours looks wonderful!
Thank you so much, Stacy!
Hello Becca!
Are you new to Sunday Supper? I don’t believe I have ever visited your gorgeous blog before?! I love your creamed spinach .. it’s just lovely! You don’t have to sell me on the health benefits of spinach, I already love it! And I just saw that you are in Appleton, WI. I’m in Madison. We recently moved here at the end of last year. Where is Appleton?
Hi Alice! Thanks for stopping by my virtual kitchen 🙂
I started participating in Sunday Supper last month. I’m not able to post every week, but I’m excited to be part of the great family!
Appleton is about 90 minutes northeast of you. I’m 30 minutes south of Green Bay. Glad to see another Cheesehead in the blog world!
And picky eaters sometimes skip the spinach — this will get their attention!
We can hope so, Cathy! 🙂 Thanks for coming by!
There is NOTHING better then creamed spinach! I LOVE this and wish I had a big bowl of it in front of me right now! Yum!
It’s one of my favorites too, Gintare. Thanks for stopping by!
It is funny how there are things we can’t stand when we are kids and then we grow up and discover we do like them. I would love to give this creamed spinach a try.
I agree, Laura! I guess it can take a while for our taste buds to “grow up” and learn to like certain foods, right? 🙂
Ooo creamy spinach. I too used to hate this particular green. It probably wasn’t until college when I was forced to eat it from the kitchen lab classes. My grade depended on it. From that moment, all hate was over. Looking forward to your recipe Thursday!
Thank you, Connie!!
Hi
I want to increase the servings to 6. Do you know how to convert ,75 teaspoon and ,38 teaspoon. I got the other measurements but that ,75 and ,38, to me is hard to convert into teaspoons.