Healthy Creamed Spinach: Less cream, more spinach, just as good! You’re going to love this addition to your dinner plate!
Do you ever suddenly get the idea to make something you’ve never even had before? That happened to me last week when I decided creamed spinach would be the perfect side for pot roast. Since I didn’t exactly (at all) know how to make it, I started reading recipes. It turns out creamed spinach is not typically what you would call a healthy side dish thanks to loads of butter and heavy cream!
Do you cook with heavy cream very often? I almost never do. It makes me feel really guilty! If you saw my figure (especially after a year or so of medication that causes weight gain), you might not think I’m the most diet conscious. I really do try to make (mostly) healthy choices though. I could use some work on portion sizes, but I try not to eat foods that are absolutely loaded with fat and calories. If you ask me, any recipe involving more than a couple tablespoons of heavy cream generally falls into that category.
Since I didn’t want my vegetable to make me feel guilty, I came up with my own lighter version, which I thought turned out great. My husband wasn’t crazy about the texture, but I think creamed spinach is supposed to be rather, well, squishy. The flavor was delicious, and I was happy to have the leftovers all to myself. It’s like spinach dip that you can eat for dinner. That sounds good to me! Definitely give this a try the next time you want a creamy spinach side dish with no guilt!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 16 ounces cut leaf frozen spinach thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- cayenne pepper to taste optional
- 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan optional
Ingredients
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Rate this recipe!
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- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute until white and fragrant, about one minute. Stir in flour.
- Slowly stir in milk about 1/4 c. at at time, whisking constantly to create a smooth sauce. Add salt and pepper.
- Stir in spinach and cottage cheese. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Taste and add additional salt to taste.
- Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese if desired.
Wondering what to do with the rest of the cottage cheese? Try this Creamy Easy Mac and Cheese!
L. Lamont says
Can this be made ahead and reheated in microwave?
samantha says
Didn’t have regular milk so tried with Soymilk and it actually turned out good, but I think regular milk would be even better as it would make it more creamy. Spooned this over red yams and topped with cheese. Delicious!
Andi says
That sounds delicious, Samantha! I’m happy to hear it turned out well even with soy milk. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment :)
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I am totally going to do this with some or our fresh garden spinach, can’t wait!
The Weary Chef says
Let me know how you like it!
tanya says
I love the ‘less cream” concept Andi! I think my kids would appreciate that too! Will be appearing on our dinner plates very soon.
The Weary Chef says
Thanks, Tanya. I’m impressed that your kids will eat this. I wish mine were such good eaters!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
I love creamed spinach! And love the idea that it’s more spinach than cream. Delicious!
The Weary Chef says
Thanks so much, Anne!
Vicki S says
Hi- going to try your recipe but may I suggest unsweetened coconut milk rather than soy? Soy is actually really unhealthful with the exception of fermented, Really bad for men- Its isoflavones mimic (bad) estrogen.
Learning this really made me unhappy because I absolutely love plain, firm tofu,