Delicious creamed spinach with mushrooms and parmesan cheese serves as an appetizer with crackers or alongside your main dish just in time for holiday gatherings. You can make it ahead of schedule then broil until hot and bubbly right before serving.
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Creamed Spinach In A Pinch
This past "Giving of Thanks" was one of the best we've ever celebrated. Not only was the food delicious, but we were able to spend several days enjoying our children, grandchildren, and some treasured family friends from south Louisiana. With all of the planning and cooking ahead of time, I thought I was ready. Still, there was that nagging question, "What if you don't have enough?" So I shared it with my daughter, and she quickly said, "Do you want me to make creamed spinach?" I responded with a yes, and thankfully (but not needfully), we had all of the necessary ingredients.
Her impromptu idea was so easy and delicious I just have to share it with you. I think you'll like it even if you aren't a spinach eater. We had a couple of those around our table who dared to give it a try and went back for seconds.
Start With A Little Roux, Of Course
Here we go; after cooking some onion and garlic in oil and butter, add some flour to make a light roux.
Now add some heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Don't forget the Cajun seasoning that spices things up. I use Slap Ya Mama, but you can make your own combination or use your favorite brand.
Easy so far? Next, cook some frozen spinach in the sauce. Yep, no defrosting is necessary! I like that timesaver, and simmering it for 10 minutes does the job. Lately, I've added fresh mushrooms to the creamed spinach. They were not in our Thanksgiving dish, but if we'd had some on hand, they would have taken things up a notch.
After cooking the mushrooms a bit, you can serve as is or pour the creamed spinach into a casserole dish, top it with cheese, and broil or bake. I like the results of broiling best, but I don't trust myself. So I either set a timer or stay close by the oven until the cheesy top is perfectly browned.
More Spinach Recipes
Are you a spinach eater, too? Here's more you might enjoy:
PrintRecipe
Creamed Spinach With Mushrooms
Delicious, make-ahead creamy spinach with mushrooms and parmesan cheese to serve as an appetizer with crackers or alongside your main dish.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon Cajun Seasoning, Slap Ya Mama, or any favorite brand
- 1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) grated fresh parmesan cheese
- 16 ounces frozen chopped spinach
- 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms, optional
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan until the butter is melted.
- Cook onions in butter and oil for 10 minutes without browning.
- Add garlic and cook a minute more while stirring, being careful not to burn.
- Stir in flour and cook for another minute.
- Pour in cream and water, stirring until sauce is thickened.
- Season the cream sauce.
- Add 1 ¼ cups cheese, stirring until melted.
- Now, add spinach, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushrooms, cover, and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Serve as is, or pour the creamed spinach into a 9 x 9 casserole dish, top with remaining cheese, and place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly and brown on top.
Notes
Use your own combination of seasonings, such as salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, garlic, and/or onion powder.
Make ahead and keep refrigerated or freeze, then defrost and bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly and browned on top before serving.
This recipe easily divides into half for a smaller crowd.
You can use powdered parmesan cheese instead of the freshly grated kind.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: side dish/appetizer
- Method: simmering/broiling
- Cuisine: American
More To Come
Well, we had plenty of food for our Thanksgiving feast. It turns out we didn't need the creamed spinach. But it hasn't gone to waste; we enjoyed it with the rest of the leftovers, and it gave me the chance to share another yummy dish with you.
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"The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes because God is interested in good craftsmanship."
Martin Luther
Rosa Bolin
I can’t wait to cook this for our Christmas !!
Louisiana Woman
Have a Merry Christmas!