Morton’s Steakhouse Creamed Spinach (Copycat) is a decadent side ready in minutes, with fresh spinach, butter, garlic, and three cheeses.
This special Side Dish is perfect for a special occasion meal like Christmas, Easter, or even a romantic date night at home. Serve it alongside a perfectly cooked Steak with other cheesy sides like Skillet Creamy Mac & Cheese or Potatoes Au Gratin.
MORTON’S STEAKHOUSE CREAMED SPINACH (COPYCAT)
Creamed Spinach is the cheesiest way to enjoy your vegetables! This side dish will elevate any home cooked meal to make you and your guests feel like you’re dining at a five star steakhouse.
Using fresh spinach instead of frozen gives this dish a slight crunch to balance the rest of the creamy, cheesy texture. Butter, onions, and garlic add a ton of flavor, and the combination of cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses cheeses take it to the next level.
This recipe is a spot on copy for Morton’s Steakhouse. It goes well with Cast Iron Ribeye, Roasted Garlic Cherry Tomatoes and Classic Easy Mashed Potatoes as a traditional Christmas Eve dinner.
TIPS FOR MAKING CREAMED SPINACH:
- Yes you can use whole milk instead of half and half (go any less fatty and you’re not going to like the results).
- You can also go the opposite way and use heavy cream. Your taste buds will love it, your jeans may not but hey it is the holidays!
- If you’d prefer to use frozen spinach, just defrost and squeeze out as much water as you can from 1 pound of frozen spinach.
- Nutmeg may seem like a dessert spice, but you’ll love the flavor in this recipe.
- Aside from the classic Morton’s recipe, this recipe also adds cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.
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CREAMED SPINACH PASTA BAKE:
A great thing to do with the leftovers, if there are any, is toss some cooked pasta in with it, add a bit of mozzarella and cream cheese for an easy spinach pasta bake. Cook on 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, no recipe here, it is usually just whatever is left over.
MORE VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES
Mexican Corn Salad
Crispy Roasted Cauliflower
Broccoli in Cheese Sauce
Glazed Carrots
HOW TO STORE CREAMED SPINACH
- Serve: Serve warm but don’t leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Cover Creamed Spinach in an airtight bag or container, and it will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: You can keep Creamed Spinach in the freezer for up to four months. Just defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion , minced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 teaspoons Kosher salt , divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg , freshly grated
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 2 1/4 pounds fresh leaf spinach , or one pound frozen
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with two teaspoons of salt.
- Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Drain the spinach in a strainer or colander.
- Rinse with cold water until cool and squeeze the water out of each fistful of spinach.
- Chop the spinach bundles into a ¾ inch width.
- In a large skillet melt the butter with the garlic and onions.
- Cook on medium low for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the remaining kosher salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
- Add in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon over low and cook for 2-3 minutes until the aroma is a bit nutty.
- Add the half an half and cook until boiling.
- Add in the mozarella cheese and cream cheese
- Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
- Add in the spinach and the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This sounds delicious, can I make ahead and freeze (for about 2 weeks)
True to taste. Simple to make and nice.
I’m gonna make this tomorrow. Based on what most are saying I think I’m gonna freeze half of the sauce and save and add spinach for next time and use the recommended amount of spinach using the other half of the sauce. Will let you know how it turns out.
Simple and delicious! I will be making this again and again.
It tastes good. 🙂
Incredible recipe!!! I have made this twice. The second time was Easter with a Rib Roast, it was the perfect side dish. I was out of nutmeg so I used all-spice, it had a better taste than with the nutmeg. Thanks for the recipe, it really is a crowd pleaser!
You can’t go wrong with this recipe, it is delicious, but you’ll have to force yourself not to eat the whole thing yourself! Hard to eat just one small portion of this.
I love fresh spinach.. but not typically cooked spinach..this recipe however was wonderful…reminded me of Ruth Chiris recipe?
Omg
This is really good! Love love love
This was hands down absolutely amazing!!
I did not have cream so used 1% milk, lite cream cheese was also used. Did not have the mozzarella cheese but truly did not miss it.
Will definitely make this again and again!!
This recipe is a keeper! I substituted shallot for onions because that is what I had on hand an omitted the flour because we’re keto. Will def make this again!!!
Made this for the first time tonight as I’ve had this at a friends house. I omitted the mozzarella and cream cheese to make the traditional Morton’s recipe. Served with a ribeye steak and mashed garlic potatoes. It was a huge success and will keep this in my recipes for future use.
Can I use canned spinach ?
You can but it may change the consistency and flavor a bit.
What a delicious dish this is. I used all the fattening stuff. I want the true taste of this Beautiful Creamed Spinach. It was out of this world delicious . Thank you for this lovely recipe. I will be making this one all the time, not just for the Holidays.
This is comfort food! I tried it first with spinach then with asparagus. Delicious! A wonderful side with meatloaf!
Really flavorful! Next time I make it though I’ll leave out the cream cheese. That made it somewhat heavy. I used gruyere instead of mozzarella. It complimented the nutty flavors. I thought it was going to be a lot of half and half, but it was perfect! Thank you for the recipe!
I don’t understand some of the complaints on here because this is freaking delicious! My whole family LOVED this! A new holiday must have! Thank you!
Love it!
Delicious. After reading comments I subbed corn starch for flour and doubled the spinach. In lieu of cream cheese I used most of a block of Boursin. Everyone raved.
Overall this recipe is fabulous. I omitted the salt and mozzarella cheese and doubled the Parmesan as that has plenty of salt. I cut down on the flour and half and half to 4 tablespoons of floor and only a cup and a half of the half and half. I doubled the fresh spinach. I used a little white pepper instead of black pepper. Every time I make this, they are licking the dish and there is no leftovers even when I double it. This is our family tradition. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving! Love your additions!
Why are you calling it Morton’s recipe when you also clearly state that you’ve adulterated it? I’m not suggesting your recipe is bad, but it’s certainly not Morton’s.
What a stupid comment. Did you not read where it says to omit a couple ingredients for the copycat recipe? Pull the stick out of your ass.
This was excellent! Thank you!
I eat Keto so I substitute the flour for xanthem gum (1/4 tsp).
I half all ingredients and double the spinach because I like it thick. Ingredients are spot on and best combo I’ve found.
Awesome, Paige!
This is the best and taste exactly like theirs. I love Morton’s but their Creamed Spinach side is $12. I have included this recipe in the last 3 Thanksgiving sides. It’s an official tradition now. Thank you so much. I have made many of your delicious recipes. KUDOS.
Thank you so much, Kaye!
Dearest Sabrina,
You are a wizard! I followed your directions precisely and our dinner party was a fabulous success. Thank you very much! Couldn’t have done it without you!
Thank you, Rick! This is so sweet!
Very good recipe. The creamed spinach is exactly like a high end steakhouse (Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s, Capital Grill, etc.). My only critique is the 4 teaspoons of salt is WAY TOO MUCH. I would use 2 teaspoons of salt and can then add more if needed once the creamed spinach is cooked and ready to serve
Thank you Mike for your support and critique.
Hi Mike. I was reading comments for the creamed spinach recipe. You commented how 4 tsp of salt was a lot. Did you see that 2 tsp of it was for use in cooking the spinach (and then rinsing off?) and then the other 2 tsp was used in the cream/cheese sauce? Wasn’t sure if you did that or used all of it in the sauce. ??
2 teaspoons are for the water. 2 teaspoons are to be mixed in.
3.5 cups of half and half seems like way too much. I made this with one cup. Comes out very thick. If you like it thinner I think 1.5 or 2 cups would be more then enough. 3.5 cups seems like it would make spinach soup.
Made this recipe but with slightly more spinach. It was excellent! The flavor is spot-on “steak house”. The consistency was perfectly creamy and not gluey. It makes a TON of food – easily 8 servings. This will be my go-to creamed spinach recipe from now on.
Made this recipe exactly as stated. One lb. of frozen spinach was not nearly enough. Ended up using another lb. and it’s still very heavy on the sauce. Flavors are good but consistency not to my liking.
This recipe is a favorite in my house. Basically any time I make salmon I cook some up. It reheats really well. It makes quite a bit for a family of 3 so I usually halve it and still have leftovers. Works well with any meat.
I made the mozzarella/cream cheese version last night, adding 12oz. extra spinach to thicken things up and stretch out the calories a bit. It was SOOO good! Hubs offered to “clean up” and I caught him taking another big bite and licking the serving spoon clean before he put it in the sink! I’ll be keeping this one under Great and Easy, especially for holiday gatherings.
I just discovered your site. Your recipe came out perfect for me. Forgot how good creamed spinach can be. I look forward cooking more of your recipes.
Thank you.
Welcome to the blog Sherry! Thank you!!
Ok. A lot of problems with this. The fat/flour/milk ratio for a sauce consistency roux was way off – I used 4 tbsp fat/4tbsp flour and 2 c milk. This is pretty standard. And even then it required 2 lb of frozen spinach to get the right consistency
I made this last night. I only put in half the cream cheese and instead of mozzarella, I made it a little more interesting by using Gruyere cheese…. Delicious!!!!
Think this could be done in a slow cooker?
I’ve not tested it so I’m not sure.
Cream cuddles in a slow cooker
What does the cream cuddle with?
Cream cuddles with me ?
Thanks for the spinach souffle recipe. I’ve always used Stouffer’s, but can’t find it in any stores near me. I use it to ‘stuff’ acorn squash which becomes dinner (I’m a vegetarian : )
Such a great idea!
OMGosh! I love creamed spinach. I attempted to make it myself once or twice. I always order it if it’s on the menu, and especially at Morton’s. And the frozen versions are quite expensive for an okay version.
This recipe is amazing! I had to improvise a bit as I didn’t have all or low supplies of ingredients, but it was still delish.
I have so much leftover that I’ll use it in pasta with chicken sausage for dinner this week. If you haven’t tried it, do it.
Now if I can find a recipe for Marshall Fields meatloaf with red pepper gravy and LaBrea’s white chicken chili I’ll be a happy girl.
Ohh in a pasta sounds DELISH! Thanks for the tip!
This is a delicious recipe that my family requests a lot. It’s especially good with salmon and other fish or steak. I usually half it because there are only 3 of us and it makes a lot. I will say that if I make an entire batch I find it takes much longer than 35 minutes. I grate my own cheese so maybe that adds some time. Definitely worth it!
Grating your own cheese is a must!! So much creamier and without all of the extra chemical and additives. So glad you all enjoy it so much, Julia.
I was a but disappointed in this, overall. The flavor of the sauce is great but waaay too much fir the amount of spinach. I added more but it was still too much sauce. Then at the very end of the recipe, buried in ads, I see that the mozzarella and cream cheese are not part of the original Morton’s recipe. I don’t read all the story stuff before recipes so maybe it is there but I think those are too much. Is this awful, no. I also won’t make it again or, if I do, it will be without the mozzarella and cream cheese.
Same with me. Way too much sauce, not enough spinach. I just made this. It was ok. I wonder if I could use egg noodle for the rest of the sauce. Disappointed to say the least.
I’m going to try a couple of these. Sounds delicious.
Followed your recipe to a T and made creamed spinach for the first time in my life. The nutmeg is a must in my opinion. Used fresh spinach which, from reading through the comments, also seems like a must. Not sure if skillet type matters but I used a cast iron. It was the perfect spinach to cream ratio. My husband loved it and we have a ton left over. Wondering if we could place the rest in a freezer bag and thaw when needed?
Thank you for sharing this gem! My only suggestion to others is maybe pair with a leaner cut of meat. I had a ribeye and it was too filling lol
This dish is definitely freezable. I’m so glad you enjoy it so much.
I just made this and it is delish!!! I used 4 boxes of frozen spinach and it was perfect ratio of cream and spinach. Will definitely make again…yummy!!
Can this be used for meal prep?
If you want to make this ahead of time, follow everything through step 9 as prep. Then 10 minutes before serving, add the spinach to the mixture, warm gently and then follow the rest of the directions. Enjoy!
Great recipe thanks.
I didn’t have the nutmeg. I used brown curry instead and dehydrated ginger and a twist of lemon. No salt and pepper either used “Slap ya’ mama”, its a staple on the pipeline. Saute carrots and added strained Ro*el at the end… OMG. Had to use Saltines, no flour either, and used smoked Gouda. Chicken broth instead of water. I did use spinach and the cream cheese. FYI the is no such thing as too much cream. I’m putting over Arborio rice.
This is my go to receive at every family gathering. My kids love it too which is awesome. I agree that it is more ‘spinached cream’ versus creamed spinach but I love it that way. It is really rich. If it’s too much use less half and half.
We made this with a garlic prime rib, horseradish mashed potatoes and corn bread for NY day. It was the best we’ve had! As the glutton I am, I even poured some over a piece of corn bread. It was too good that it was hard to stop eating. Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Sounds amazing, Melissa!
I followed the recipe as is. I used a pound of frozen spinach. Then I had to add the other 8 oz from the bag. There is WAYYYYYYYY too much cream in this recipe. Even after adding the rest of the spinach I had, I wound up with “spinached cream” and not creamed spinach. I’d use maybe 2 cups of half and half, definitely not 3.5 cups!! Other than that, it’s pretty tasty.
Made this as a side with prime rib. Too heavy, too cheesy. Love creamed spinach, but this was over powering. The ratio of cheese/cream to spinach was way off. Much prefer lighter cream with the spinach.
We made this creamed spinach to the recipe requirements (cream cheese and mozzarella too) for Christmas with prime rib, creamed corn and potatoes au gratin. The creamed spinach was delicious but super think – so we added room temperature beef broth to thin it out. Highly recommend having a carton of beef broth handy and slowly mix into completed dish until the thickness preferred. We also cleaned the spinach stems and tore the spinach leaves prior to cooking.
Great recipe!
I omitted the mozzarella but couldn’t pass up the cream cheese. I used half and half.
Did steps 1 through 9 and set aside waiting for the prime rib to catch up. 3 hours later added the spinach and followed the rest of the recipe. Worked to perfection!
Read a lot of comments about being too creamy. I squeezed the excess water from the spinach until my hands ached. Think that is the trick to eliminating the excess sauce.
This was the first time I had attempted creamed spinach. I halved the entire recipe and used frozen spinach. It was delicious but I did remove at least a third of the sauce before I added the spinach. It would have been all sauce with a little spinach otherwise. I will make it with fresh spinach next time to see if the sauce to spinach ratio is correct.
I agree with other comment about using frozen spinach, I used 1 pound, but had enough cream sauce for at least 2 pounds. It is tasty but definitely need to adjust the recipe.
I made this without the cream cheese and mozzarella – I’m old school – and it is fantastic!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Karen.
I was not sure how to rate this recipe. Executing the recipe as written yields something that isn’t really creamed spinach. I’ve made it twice in the past month. The first time I made it with the mozzarella and cream cheese as recommended. It had way too much sauce for the recommended amount of spinach. I wound up adding pasta to it, and it was delicious.
I made this recipe a second time using the recommended amount of frozen spinach. I omitted the cream cheese and mozzarella. There was still too much sauce!! I then removed 50-60% rue/sauce prior to adding the spinach and Parmesan. I placed the extra in the freezer. It came out well with the alterations.
The mozzarella and cream cheese are unnecessary if you’re making a creamed spinach. This recipe as written would be great for a pasta dish or perhaps as a dip if you add artichoke and additional mozzarella.
Yum! Can’t wait to try this!
I omitted cream cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan and I still thought it was wonderfully rich. I did add extra butter and reduce the flour until they were about equal in order to make a proper roux. I also microwaved the half and half until warm before mixing it in slowly. Finally, I added generous amounts of paprika, Urfa chili, and black lime powder because steakhouse creamed spinach is just too rich and one-note for my tastes in general. It was the best creamed spinach I have ever made by far.
I’m glad you were able to customize it more to your liking, Marie.
Was delicious! After reading reviews, used 2 pounds of frozen spinach. We enjoyed it as a Thanksgiving side dish this year. Also ate leftovers as dip.
I’m thinking of preparing this for Christmas dinner with prime rib. Can it be made ahead of time? Thanks for your help.
If you want to make this ahead of time, follow everything through step 9 as prep. Then 10 minutes before serving, add the spinach to the mixture, warm gently and then follow the rest of the directions. Enjoy!
I used frozen spinach, and instead of the pound I ended up using 24 oz. There seemed to be too much sauce for just one pound of frozen. Otherwise the recipe was wonderful!
This is a very creamy cheesy spinach dish, glad you enjoyed it! I will recipe test again with 24 ounces vs 16 ounces and see how it goes next week. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wonderful recipe! Made it exactly as written and was perfect! Thank you for such a recipe for spinach perfection,…
Thanks for the 5 stars, Diane. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Ugh -this was awful The mozzarella wouldn’t really melt (like most mozzarella) and it was all stringy and not very creamy
Not sure what I did wrong but it was gross.
I put the spinach in ice water and hand squeezed in until not so watery .
It is a great recipe
Much too much liquid/cream for the amount of spinach. I put it in a blender, and turned it into spinach soup- added mint leaves. The taste was delicious. Next time I will double the amount of spinach and cut down the cream to 3 cups.
Absolutely delicious!
Way too much sauce for the amount of spinach. Absolutely delicious though!
Used 2 boxes of frozen spinach, and had about twice the sauce needed. No worries, saved the extra sauce to use for another dish, as it is delicious!
thank you for the recipe, what am I missing about frozen spinach? Why would you defrost and squeeze out excess water if you’re about to cook it until wilted? is frozen spinach usually precooked or something?
You don’t want the extra liquid in the dish.
Tried this recipe for the first time 2 weeks ago – it is a fabulous recipe! So easy, tasty and creamy… mmm,. Everyone loved it and we’re looking forward to making it again tomorrow for family. Thank you for sharing it with us!
You’re welcome, Helen.
Hello! I was curious can you make this a day ahead?
If you want to make this ahead of time, follow everything through step 9 as prep. Then 10 minutes before serving, add the spinach to the mixture, warm gently and then follow the rest of the directions. Enjoy!
I actually made this with broccoli rabe and it came out amazing. I did put the rabe through a food processor but that chopped a bit too much so I would hand chop it next time.
Very creamy and delicious. If you are buying bagged spinach, you’ll need 4 (6 oz) bags. Make sure you get as much water out of it after you cook it. This recipe would be great to make a spinach artichoke dip out of. To do this, I’d reduce the spinach to 12 oz and add a jar of heated, chopped artichoke hearts.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Diana.
I’m dying to make this for an event I’m having soon. I need 12 pounds of frozen spinach (I know seems excessive lol) but I can’t see multiplying every ingredient by 12, that seems like way to much of everything. Would 3x or 4x the recipe suffice or is that still to much? Looks absolutely delicious I can’t wait to make it!
You’ll be ok with multiplying as needed. If you’re afraid that it’ll be too creamy or cheesy, hold back a quarter when it comes to the half and half and mozzarella cheese. You can always add it in later if you still want it. Good luck!
It was good but something is wrong with the list of ingredients. I used 2 boxes of 10 oz frozen spinach. Your recipe calls for 3.5 cups of half and half. There was way to much liquid. After putting the spinach in the pan, I had to remove it and scooped up about 1/4 of the half and half and put it in a smaller saucepan. Maybe I did something wrong. It was delicious though. Thank you!
Did you defrost and squeeze out as much water as possible from the frozen spinach before using? That might have led to more liquid being produced. Hopefully this helps.
WAYYYYY too much Cream sauce and not nearly enough spinach. We doubled the frozen spinach to 2 lbs and still had so much cream sauce.
Tasted delish though!!!
I CAN NOT WAIT TO TRY YOUR CREAMED SPINACH. EVERY TIME WE EAT AT A CHINES BUFFET THEY HAVE CREAMED SPINACH, BUT I THINK THIS WILL BE BETTER WITH THE GARLIC.
Amazing!
Delicious thanks for sharing.. big hit for dinner.. I used heavy whipping cream. I didn’t use the mozzarella nor cream cheese
I halved the recipe cause I only had one bag of spinach. I had heavy whipping cream so I split it with 2% milk. Delicious!
This creamed spinach is ridiculously delicious. And bonus for giving me a reasonto use up half the spinach growing in our garden right now. You can only take spinach salad for so long. We paired with thick, juicy Prime Ribeye and a nice red wine and I was literally in heaven. The recipe is also very easy, and pretty quick prep time. I am a fan!!
DELICIOUS! Will be adding artichoke hearts next time for a dip, but it was perfect as a side dish.
Woohoo! Thanks for the 5 stars, Kristina.
I made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I didn’t rate it because I have not made it yet but it sounds really good. My question is can this be made with canned spinach? That is all I have right now. Seems like if I treated it like the frozen, drain it, then it would work as well. What do you think??
Yes, make sure to fully drain it and it should work fine. Enjoy!
Wow this was amazing!
Fabulous!
My husband adores this recipe and gets creamed spinach at Morton’s every time we go. I cook it in a cast iron skillet because it turns out so well.
My husband hemorrhaged after surgery once and needed to increase his iron levels but was having a hard time getting enough. So I cooked all his meals in cast iron. The doctor was amazed at how quickly his levels came back to normal. So we’re big fans of cast iron cooking. I also love how cast iron sears meat, so I wind up roasting more steaks in the oven and then searing them in a rocket hot cast iron pan than I do grilling them. I love basting with the pan fond and some butter and thyme then serving with roasted shallots, sauteed mushrooms, and the creamed spinach.
This is the best creamed spinach I’ve ever had. I made it for a dinner party with friends, and it was the hit. I will be making this one for years to come. Followed the recipe exactly, wouldn’t change a thing.
I made it for dinner yesterday and it was delicious! Would definitely make it again. As another reviewer mentioned it does make a lot of sauce, so what I did was take about half of the sauce out of the pot and saved it for the next day.
Also I used heavy whipping cream instead of half & half.
I made this last night for Valentine’s Day dinner with a few modifications since I did not have all the ingredients at home. I chopped up some bacon and added it when sautéing the onions, decreased the salt to 1/2 tsp. total, used 1 C. whipping cream and 1 C. milk and omitted the mozzarella cheese because I did not have any. I used fresh “steamed” spinach (no salt) only using the water from the spinach leaves in a large pot , draining it a colander and pressing out excess water with a flexible silicone spatula and did squeeze out as much water as with boiling it. It came out beautiful and delicious and will be a regular in my cooking menu now.
This recipe is so delicious. Second time making it. Floves it. My daughter has celiac disease so my only change was to use a all purpose gluten free flour which would not effect flavor, texture or anything. I say that because this recipe earns it’s 5 stars as is, no alterations. Thanks for a perfec:)
Thanks so much!
I just made this, and it is SO GOOD!! I didn’t have fresh nutmeg, so I just used what I had. It still turned out wonderful!
Sabrina, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
This recipe is the best! So easy and yummy! Thank you for sharing!
I love creamed spinach! Adding cream crease sound amazing. I am not a fan of mozzarella, can you suggest another cheese that would be creamy when melted. Do you this a white sharp would work or shredded american?
Those would work. 🙂
So good! Perfect with our prime rib. Will be adding into my regular meal rotation. Thank you, happy holidays!
I need this recipe and I did not have the mozzarella cheese. Still came out awesome!
Can the Mortons Steakhouse creamed spinach casserole be prepared the day before, then actually baked the next day?
Absolutely. 🙂 Let me know how you like it!
If you baked it the next day, what oven temperature & cook time do you recommend?
If you want to make this ahead of time, follow everything through step 9 as prep. Then 10 minutes before serving, add the spinach to the mixture, warm gently and then follow the rest of the directions. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing this, Sabrina – looks amazing, and I love creamed spinach!
Wondering if it would work without the flour, or if there is a substitution you can think of for someone with dietary restrictions who can’t eat grains? I’d love for all my loved ones to be able to enjoy this. Thanks!
You could try substituting almond flour for a Gluten Free version. 🙂
I made this yesterday for our early Christmas Dinner. It came out great, everyone loved it.
I omitted the flour and simmered the dish while adding the cream in batches so it would not become too soupy. You don’t miss the flour.
I also did not cook the spinach in water. I put the leaves into a large (dry) pot and stir until the spinach is wilted. Then strain any water from the spinach.
I concur that nutmeg in certain savory dishes is a revelation! Years ago, my mom found a “California Stroganoff” recipe (pretty much a classic stroganoff, but served over rice instead of egg noodles and it has black olives instead of mushrooms), but is still mainly beef strips simmered in beef broth and sour cream (and onions). What makes it magical, though, is topping it with generous amounts of freshly grated salt, pepper and COPIOUS amounts of freshly paddle-grated nutmeg (the best part)! It was the only leftover my family would fight over!?! Lol…
Love it!!
Hi, Sabrina,
Would this recipe work with broccoli instead of spinach for Thanksgiving?
I’ve always contributed desserts, but thought that I’d bring a relatively healthy green side dish. I had planned on your creamed spinach which looks so good, but found out that the kids love broccoli in any form — and if the kids are happy, everyone is happy!
Thank you.
That sounds like a delicious substitute. I would chop the broccoli smaller than normal but not so small it gets mushy. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
If l use frozen spinach do l have to let it cook in boiled water.
I would use 1 lb of frozen spinach, defrost and drain well (give it a good squeeze)
Will this work to be made the night before?
I’d make everything through step 9 ahead. Then 10 mins before serving add the spinach mixture to your skillet, warm gently then follow the rest of the directions. Hope this helps!
I want to try new things so I can be healthy so I can lose weight more I want to try spinach and yumm ?
I made this tonight and it was perfect! I’ve literally been searching for years for a creamy spinach recipe that didn’t have that flour-ry taste to it and this hit the mark. I didn’t have nutmeg on hand and I ran out of half and half, half way through (lol…I know lame pun) but used almond milk for the remainder and it still turned out awesome. Next time I’ll use nutmeg to give it that extra umph. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed, thanks for letting me know!
I would make this again with 1/2 the cheese, it’s delicious, but too much!
Gotta use nutmeg, I would double
That is blasphemy. There is never too much cheese. That’s like saying that something has too much bacon. Lol
I’ve made this stuff over and over, and let me tell you that it’s the bomb. Honestly stole the show. It will pack on the pounds though.
Haha, it’s just so good!!
For anyone wondering about how this recipe might work w/ milk alternatives, let me say it works well. To reduce the impact of the dairy on my fam, I’ve used coconut milk & cream once, I’ve used 2 cups of Almond milk (unsweetened & skipped the nutmeg) once, and it’s still tasty. This is a recipe that you can play around w/ and still have tasty results. I usually up the amount of spinach and only use the amount of cheese sauce needed for the amount of spinach according my liking. 🙂 Yummy everytime
Thanks for the feedback, Tiera. So glad you love it so much.
I used 2 pkgs of chopped frozen spinach, omitted the Parmesan cheese (only because I didn’t have), and it was still very amazing!!
Lol… I made this and everyone loved it….. but since sometimes things just don’t go as planned I used a big bag of chopped stir fry veggies. Was fabulous with roast turkey and I didn’t say a word. Did use almond flour to keep the carbs down.
I made this last night with a couple porterhouse steaks…..fabulous! I did add some of the extra cheese you added to your recipe but not the entire amount. Fabulous. Anyone that enjoys spinach and wants a great new eat to serve it needs to try this recipe. Not hard at all.
I used provolone instead of mozzarella, green onions instead of yellow.
Otherwise followed recipe, I don’t like spinach, but wow. This is good.
Totally recommend
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tracy!
I’ve tried other recipes. This one is the best. I added gruyere instead of mozzarella and used fresh spinach. AH-mazing!!!
We his recipe was absolutely wonderful. The leftovers, and I had to fight my husband to make sure there was some, we’re also delish with pasta. This will go to the top of my favorites.
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Great recipe
I found it too rich for a stand alone veggie with The mozzarella. I think it would be best to use as a stuffing or topping for a lean fish, chicken or pork instead as a vegetable.
Made it. Loved it! Saved the recipe. I halved the recipe since I only cook for two and I used bagged frozen spinach. Paired it with some baked cod. I scooped out some of the cream sauce, before adding the spinach, and poured it over some cooked rice to eat later. ? I give this recipe 10 stars!!
So sweet of you to say, Janet! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is by FAR the best spinach recipe ever. Tastes just like Morton’s… the code has surely been cracked in regards to their secret ingredient (nutmeg). ??
Delicious! I used heavy cream and almond flour to keep it Keto! This is an amazing side! Thank you for the recipe!
Made this for my husband’s birthday and it was the biggest hit!!! Served it with seared duck breast with cherries and port sauce and a brown rice medley. My family said I have to bring this to every dinner from now on. One thing that happened while I was making it: I discovered I didn’t have enough 1/2 and 1/2 and the flour was browning. So I added 1.5 cups of chicken stock to give me 3.5 c liquid and went ahead making the sauce. It turned out fine. I think the cream cheese makes it rich and creamy, so it was pretty forgiving. I will probably do this from now on.
Sounds delicious!
I just tried this recipe. Mine ended up a little bit creamy, but it was delicious!! Poured it over some baked chicken breast =P yum!!
The recipe is fail proof! I have made it six times, perfect for those on keto diet. I replace the half and half with heavy cream and flour with almond flour and it tastes absolutely amazing. It’s a rich dish but truly easy to make. Btw I use frozen chopped spinach, 4 packs for this recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star rating, Mark! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
Do you use the same amount of almond flour?
I love creamed spinach and This recipe was amazing! I made it for Christmas and at first it was mistaken for the most delicious dip ever. We all enjoyed some dip and then it was the best side at dinner. It turned back into dip later that evening and the following day with the leftovers.
I did not use the cream cheese or the other addition so it stayed true to the Morton’s original recipe. I will be making this a lot and thinking about adding artichokes and crab to turn it to the ultimate dip. Thank you for the recipe!!
This was perfect for Christmas dinner accompanying Beef Wellington. Had no cream or half and half in the house so substituted 3/4c buttermilk and the rest nonfat milk. Improvisation was still great! Froze half the recipe for later.
Sounds like a delicious meal! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Made it on Christmas to go with a standing rib roast. I’d been hunting for a recipe incorporating cream cheese but others failed to balance that with the classic bechamel and other cheeses. This recipe was the perfect balance. I used two ten-ounce packages instead of just a pound and it was just right — not too thin, not over-saucedt. I also doubled the recipe and stuffed both boneless chicken breasts and perch filets for chicken and fish Florentines with part of the second half and chopped up frozen baby artickokes to add to the rest for a dip that was great with freshly fried tortilla chips. Thanks for creating such a delicious, versatile recipe!
P.S. I’m going to try this with fresh, undrained spinach added directly to the sauce between steps 12 and 13, then thinning with chicken bone stock to desired consistency after that, then putting in the bowls and garnishing with the parm and a wee sprinkling of nutmeg, finally flash toasting the top with a torch just before serving.
Delicious
Great recipe! Best Cream Spinach ever!
Thanks, Sunni!
Can I put this in a small crock pot after cooking to keep warm?
Yes, just make sure to stir it occasionally. Enjoy!
Can this be made ahead?
I’d make everything through step 9 ahead. Then 10 mins before serving add the spinach mixture to your skillet, warm gently then follow the rest of the directions. It’ll taste best when freshly cooked and it shouldn’t take much more effort than putting in the pan, lowering the heat and letting it all cook together for a final few minutes. Hope this helps!
Amazing cheesy creamy spinach recipe! never cooked it before, but tried on the weekend with my gf, all went well until the lactose took effect and we started to fart non stopping!.
anyways, worth to try!
Congratulations for submitting the most unexpected comment in a food blog ever. Not being sarcastic. I think the novelty of your comment can be confirmed by the fact that the blogger replied to or acknowledged each and every comment submitted on this recipe but one so far 😉
Agreed, Paul! I’m also really glad to see they didn’t dock stars from the recipe just because of a personal issue!
I’ve made this recipe w/Coconut Milk and another time with Almond Milk to cut back on the lactose effect on my family and it is STILL tasty! If you use Almond milk I suggest unsweetened original. I only needed 2 cups of it for the roux and had a bit of extra roux left for family size frozen chopped bag. W/any good recipe it can be adjusted to the taste of the cook/family. Sharing for any others who might be curious about using milk alternatives. Also don’t be afraid to play with a good recipe like this one. If the roux makes more cream sauce than you think makes sense for your amount of spinach, then just don’t use it all. This is a top notch recipe for my collection. Thanks for sharing it!
This looks incredible. I want to make it for Christmas. Can I make it earlier and reheat it?
You *can* but here is the thing. Reheated cheese will never be as amazing as first melted cheese. My best advice would be to cook through step #8. Then on Christmas day add a tab of extra butter to start the engine back up, melt it and get everything loosened up then add in the flour and continue. The freshly added dairy will make a big difference. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
like so few of the people who commented, I actually made this recipe. The flavor of the sauce was good, but it was a bit to thick and the proportion of sauce to spinach was way off. I weighed out my spinach at the grocery store, and again after blanching and squeezing out the water. It was 3lbs at the store, 1lb after blanching. it was basically all cheese sauce. ill make it again, but cut the sauce to 1/3 of the recipe and less roux. it was way too thick, not creamy at all because is was so congealed by the roux.
I made this as a side for our Thanksgiving pot luck. Many of my hubby’s family members have never had creamed spinach until now. Let’s just say this was requested at next year’s gathering by EVERYONE… even the self proclaimed spinach haters lol! Perfect consistency! I used 4- 10oz boxes of frozen spinach … Put in a casserole dish after done and topped with italian blend instead of just parmesan… So amazing!! Thank you for this fantastic recipe ?
I love seeing this, Tassie! Thanks so much for the 5 stars!
Just made this for Thanksgiving as I usually make creamed spinach every year but always with different recipes. This is the best recipe yet. I used half of the heavy cream, half of the butter, and half of the flour. No mozzarella cheese but I had Gouda on hand so used that along with a little pepper jack. It was great and I’ll use this recipe again! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it, Christy!
This was the best I have tried. The cream cheese is an amazing addition!
Thanks, Nicole! So glad you enjoyed it!
what do you do if youre using frozen spinach?
Just defrost and squeeze out as much water as you can. – Use 1 pound of frozen spinach. I hope you enjoy it!
Can I skip the first step of wilting the spinach? I feel like if I just throw the chopped fresh spinach in the finished cream sauce, the heat of the sauce would wilt it and cook it sufficiently. Seems like an extra step- making the spinach wet then drying it lol
The reason you need this step is to lower the volume of the spinach down in the pan. It takes just a minute. I hope you enjoy it!
I made this using frozen spinach and I don’t think I used enough. The taste was delicious but it was more like a cheesy white sauce with some spinach in it. I put it over pasta and it was fabulous! I am remaking this for thanksgiving and will add a lot more spinach this time. It should be wonderful! A nice change from the same old green bean casserole!
Wow, that was delicious! First time I’ve tried creamed spinach. It’s a great recipe if you’re on a keto diet. (I added almond flour instead of regular flour and it worked fine).
So glad you enjoyed it, David!
This recipe is delicious! I made it with frozen spinach and purchased 20 ounces (the recipe calls for one pound). The result was way too creamy without enough spinach so I went back and got another 20 ounces. Fabulous results. I would just make sure to have enough frozen spinach on hand (if you go that route) to adjust the amount to your liking.
I just made this (without the nutmeg since I didn’t have any) for Friendsgiving tomorrow and omg…THIS IS SO FREAKING DELICIOUS! Stop what you’re doing and make this right now, you will not be disappointed.
YAY!! So glad you enjoyed it, Alissa!
I was wondering what the stars beside the cream cheese and mozarella cheese meant?
I put a note at the bottom of the recipe to explain but it just means that I added those two ingredients but if you want a true copycat to Morton’s, you can omit them.
Made this recipe this evening. So delicious! Thanks for posting!!
You’re welcome, Laura!
Amazing! My family raved over this recipe and said it would make a perfect appetizer dip for tortilla chips.
I am going to try this one soon
I made this recipe without the cream cheese and motzerella, it was good but made a very large amount. I would suggest cutting the recipe in half and upping the amount of spinach 25%.Quick note, the only change I made was I wilted the spinach by sautéing it. This made the entire dish taste “chalky”. However a few teaspoons of lemon juice and the chalky taste disappeared.
Thanks for the feedback, Julie!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! I added a cup of marinated chopped artichoke. Oh so good!
That sounds amazing!
Delicious!??
This is delicious! My 3 year old, who hates veggies, will eat this. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Yay!! I’d call that a winner!!
The creamed spinach was way too liquid with the cream and the cheese. Lost all spinach flavor. Might be better tomorrow reheated?
Made this tonight and it was fabulous! I used heavy cream. Definitely will be making again!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it Maureen!
Re: Creamed spinach recipe:
What’s the point of using UNSALTED butter, then 4 tsp. KOSHER SALT?
Why not just use salted butter?
Ken Alford
[email protected]
I like having control over how much salt I’m adding to a dish. Having it separate allows me that option.
Looks good! Can you wilt spinach in pan instead of pre blanching?
Sure 🙂
Did anyone need to add more spinach.. mine needed way more spinach.. it was too much cream
It was yummy! It tasted like one I used to be able to get frozen but isn’t available now. I will make this again.
This dish is amazing!!! I made it with the added ingredients! Definitely a family fav!!!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I made this recipe looking for something to stuff inside some boneless chicken breasts. It was so good! I had a ton left, but not for long as my husband ate the rest of it right out of the pan. Creamy and delicious just like a great restaurants would be! Definitely making again!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
My wife loves creamed spinach and we order it all the time at various restaurants. This recipe (with the extra cheeses) is hands down the best we have ever had and it is now added to our book of favorites we have saved!
I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed it! Now you don’t have to go out to enjoy it!!
I tried to half it and must have not cut salt enough and couldn’t eat it as intended so I ended up putting it on my unseasoned baked potato and was delish!
Glad you were able to save it! Such a great idea as a topping!
Delicious. Very rich. However the portion was hard to understand. I tried halting everything and it was still way too much.
This was absolutely delicious!!! I used the cream cheese, but no mozzarella and it was very creamy.
It makes A lot – I halved the recipe and would easily be enough for 4-6 for a side dish.
It’s a keeper ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Just made this on a need to basis. Freezer went out had spinach on hand. Didn’t have all the ingredients but had the need ones used some different cheeses turned out great!! Glad I found this recipe. Will be a keeper for sure!!
So glad to have helped!
Awesome recipe
How would you serve this if taking to a holiday dinner? Meaning would you put it in a casserole dish & then pop in the oven to warm up if traveling small distance – or could it all be fixed in a crockpot to be warmed up at your final destination ?? Ideas? I, too, was excited to read this recipe – I will never forget fixing a version of this one year for an extended family holiday / and my sister’s father in law ( who had many health problems ) – absolutely loved this!! I am pretty sure he took all the leftovers home with him !! He is gone now – and his widow will be joining us this year – I think I am meant to make it for her !!!
I am heartbroken that I missed your question 🙁 I really hope whatever you decided worked out well but for next time I’d make everything through step 9 ahead. Then 10 mins before serving add the spinach mixture to your skillet, warm gently then follow the rest of the directions. It’ll taste best when freshly cooked and it shouldn’t take much more effort than putting in the pan, lowering the heat and letting it all cook together for a final few minutes.
Looks yummy. Can it be made ahead and how much ahead? Really don’t want to wait til Thanksgiving day to make and then serve for dinner. Thanks for any suggestions.
I’d make everything through step 9 ahead. Then 10 mins before serving add the spinach mixture to your skillet, warm gently then follow the rest of the directions. It’ll taste best when freshly cooked and it shouldn’t take much more effort than putting in the pan, lowering the heat and letting it all cook together for a final few minutes. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi there, I’d like to make this for TG dinner and was wondering about how many cups does the 2 1/4 pounds spinach come out to? And just want to verify, that is the weight pre-blanching, right? Thanks so much!
2 1/4 pounds of spinach (pre-blanching) equals to be about 22 cups. Hope this clears up any confusion. Enjoy!
If substituting creamed spinach, how much would you use for the quantities of other ingredients in the recipe? Or would it still be the same by weight (2.25 lbs of spinach)?
Thanks!
I’m guessing you meant frozen spinach? I would swap for 14-16 ounces of frozen spinach. Just be sure to drain REALLY well.
Recipe looks great thank you!! I want to try this for the coming holiday. I think I would like to try adding the cream cheese to it. When would you add that in and roughly how much would you add? Also instead of boiling the spinach can you add the spinach to the skillet and wait for it to wilt that way? Thanks so much for you help!
I normally throw in whatever portion of cream cheese is open in the fridge. Working with a new package I’d toss in about half of it, but if you can help it the more towards room temperature the cream cheese is the better.
I made this tonight and it was LUSCIOUS! So glad I found your recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that!
Thanks! Someone who actually made it.
I am not sure I have ever tried creamed spinach. This looks like a good side dish!
Thanks! I hope you try it!
This is a dish that’s new to me. I’m not sure I’ve ever had spinach other than in maybe some dip, so I’ll have to try this and see how I like it.
If you’ve never had spinach, you’re missing out! It’s got a very strong flavor that I really enjoy working with!
I can’t tell you how glad I am to have found this post. A few days ago my husband and I went to lunch at a local steakhouse and he chose the creamed spinach as his side. I have been thinking about it since! I want to try to re-create it at home. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Awesome, it was meant to be!
This looks gorgeous – and the fact that you gave us not just an idea for the spinach, but the whole meal, makes this even easier. Great photos too!
That creamed spinach looks heavenly. It reminds me of the way I had spinach as a kid — my mom always made it creamed like that and I always loved it.
Thanks! I wish I grew up with creamed spinach!
What a great recipe! The spinach looks incredibly creamy, I’m bookmarking to make this for date night!
This is a great side dish for a steak dinner date night!
I think I would love this. I love spinach in almost all forms. I haven’t figured out how to get my family on board with me though. Perhaps if I served it alongside prime rib or roast like you have it would be just the ticket. Yum.
Just tell them it has butter, cream and cheese in it!
This is a great dish to make this weekend. My kids are going to love it.
I hope they like it!
I have never tried Creamed Spinach before. It looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to try making this recipe on the weekend.
It’s about time you had it, then!
I am a savory foods person, so I really appreciate this dish in the face of a barrage of desserts online. Perfectly cooked and stunning! And I’ve never seen creamed spinach look so sexy!
Aww thanks Kathleen!
Oh I’m liking this idea. It sounds really good and I’d love to find out how that nutmeg impacts the flavor.
The nutmeg adds a hint of warmth to the creamy, cheesy flavor!
This looks so good! And that steak, perfectly rare. What a meal.
Thanks Elena! I love a well cooked, red, steak.
I LOVE creamed spinach. I appreciate your tip about using milk instead of half and half.
Thanks!
I love creamed spinach! And this reminded me that I haven’t had or made it in ages so I need to get with it!
Stop depriving yourself! Creamed spinach is on regular rotation in our house!
Oh wow now that is a way I could eat my spinach. That looks really tasty, and even my daughters eye widened when we looked at this. Yum
It can be difficult to get kids to eat veggies sometimes, but mine enjoyed this recipe!
That meal sure looks delicious! I bet that spinach would go good with Salmon too, which we seem to eat quite often.
Thanks! I think it would go great with salmon too!
Oh my goodness, creamed spincach is my weakness. It is so delicious and is actually one of the only veggies my hubby will eat. LOL. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I hope you guys like it!
My father-in-law loves to cook and I am sure he will love this recipe!
The pictures alone are making my mouth water!
I hope he likes the recipe!
This spinach looks really good. This is the perfect dinner pairing, would be a great stay in date night.
If you make a nice, juicy steak along with this, you’ll have a very happy date!
I’ve only had creamed spinach once- I can’t really recall how I felt about it, but I do like spinach. Maybe I’ll give your recipe a try. It certainly looks delicious!
I’m sorry your first time wasn’t a memorable one – I think this one might be the recipe that wins you over!
This spinach looks amazing! I’ve never actually had creamed spinach before but now I want to try it!
It’s never too late for your first time!
WOW! I love this recipe, I’ve never made it before. Pinning!
Thanks for the pin!
My hubby is always looking for creamed spinach I can excited to find this because I am surprising him with all his favorite meals for christmas this is going to be added to it.
Wonderful I hope you both love it!
I have never had spinach like this before. I need to try it.
I hope you like it!
Can you substitute Almond Flour or Coconut Flour for the All Purpose Flour?
Also, are the nutritional values listed somewhere?
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets. I do have an additional site cookingwithpoints.com that lists nutritional facts for all of the recipes, if you’re interested in checking that out.
I haven’t tested it but my gut is telling me that almond flour would be the better substitute. Coconut flour is more absorbent and might affect the texture of the dish. I’d love to know how it turns out if you decide to try!
How many oz of uncooked fresh spinach should I use for this recipe.
I used 2 1/4 pounds of fresh leaf spinach for this recipe. Hope this helps!