Creamed Spinach

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I've tried a few recipes in the past to make creamed spinach and never been satisfied with any of them.  This one was very good.  There may be a better one, but this is the best so far.  The reason I've tried so many times is that my husband is a big fan of creamed spinach.  He thought this dish was delicious.

 10 oz. of spinach (the original recipe called for baby spinach, but that isn't what I had from my CSA farm)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (a little more is OK)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the spinach: Bring a 4-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach in large handfuls until all the spinach is added, and cook for 15 seconds.  Prior to cooking remove large stems if using mature spinach.
  2. Drain and cool the spinach: Drain the pot of spinach in a colander in the sink and immediately run the spinach under cold water to halt the cooking. Shake as much of the water off the spinach as you can by shaking the colander.
  3. Dry the spinach: Using your hands, press the spinach against the sides of the colander in large handfuls, squeezing to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Set aside to drain further while making the cream sauce.  I actually ran my spinach through my salad spinner to dry it.  It worked quite well.  If you are not using baby spinach, rough chop the spinach after cooking it.
  4. Make the cream sauce: Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half. Cook the mixture, stirring slowly and continuously until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes more.
  5. Add the cheese and spinach: Stir in the cheese, nutmeg, mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach and mix well. 
  6. This makes enough to serve 2 people; especially if they like creamed spinach.

    Adapted from the kitchn.com

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