This Morton’s Steakhouse Creamed Spinach Copycat recipe is a warm, silky side dish with tender greens swirled into a rich, comforting sauce.
Whether you need a recipe to use up your spinach, or you have picky eaters, or want a crowd-pleasing Side during the holidays, this Creamed Spinach is a winning choice! For more tasty spinach recipes, try my Spinach Gratin and Spinach Parmesan Casserole.
Sabrina’s Steakhouse Creamed Spinach Recipe
Creamed Spinach is the cheesiest, creamiest way to enjoy your vegetables! My easy copycat recipe of this classic side dish is made with simple ingredients but tastes so indulgent, like you’re dining at a five-star steakhouse. This delicious side is a great way to elevate your regular home-cooked meal and is fancy enough to add to your holiday spread!
Recipe Card
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 ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 1/2 cups half and half
- 2 1/4 pounds fresh spinach , or one pound frozen
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 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 mozzarella 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
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Table of Contents
Chef’s Note: Whole Milk or Heavy Cream
While yes, you can use whole milk instead of half-and-half for this particular spinach recipe, I don’t recommend it. It will still be pretty tasty, but it won’t taste as creamy and rich as the Morton’s Steakhouse version. Trust me, your taste buds and guests will love it, and hey, it is the holidays
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, creamed spinach is a make-ahead dream. Prep it the day before, store it in the fridge, and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk or cream to loosen it up. It tastes even better as the flavors meld overnight, which makes it a perfect no-stress side dish for busy holiday meals or parties.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Serve Hot or Cold: This can actually be served either hot or cold! If it’s hot, serve with a juicy steak meal. If it’s cold, use it as a tasty appetizer!
- Frozen Spinach Option: If you’d prefer to use frozen spinach, just defrost and squeeze out as much excess water as you can from 1 pound of frozen spinach.
- Don’t Skip the Squeezing: Whether you’re using fresh or frozen spinach, squeezing out as much liquid as possible is crucial, as extra water will thin the sauce and dilute the flavor.
- Nutmeg’s Role: Nutmeg may seem like a dessert spice, but you’ll love its flavor in this recipe. Its warmth and spiced flavor pair well with the dish’s creaminess.
- Extra Cheesy Upgrade: Aside from the classic Morton’s recipe, this recipe also adds cream cheese and Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Removing them gives the original recipe!
- Add a Crunchy Topping: If you want a texture contrast, sprinkle the finished dish with breadcrumbs or crunchy fried onions and pop it under the broiler for a minute or two to give it a nice toast.
- Double It for a Crowd: This recipe doubles (or even triples) easily, making it perfect for holiday gatherings or potlucks.
How to Store
- Store: Serve warm, but don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Cover the Creamed Spinach in an airtight container, and it will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Reheat Creamed Spinach on medium heat, stirring often. If it’s too thick just add a splash of milk or cream. The microwave works too, in 30-second bursts. Stir in between bursts. Keep the heat on medium to avoid causing the sauce to separate.
- Freeze: You can keep Creamed Spinach in the freezer for up to four months. Just defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Ideas to Serve
This spinach 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. You could also serve it with freshly sliced carrot sticks or celery sticks as a fun veggie dip, or even put a teaspoon’s worth on some butter crackers along with a garnish of cherry tomato halves or fresh sprouts for a fancy appetizer.
Frequent Questions
This can happen if the flour isn’t cooked long enough to fully develop its thickening power or if too much liquid is added. Let the sauce simmer a bit longer to thicken.
Yes, it’s a subtle flavor, but it is a very specific taste that adds a layer of flavor that makes the dish a winner. If you’re out, you can skip it, but the final result might feel less rounded.
Variations
- 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 at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. No recipe here, it is usually just whatever is left over.
- Kale: Swap out half the fresh spinach with kale leaves to balance all that richness and extra nutrients. You’ll want to remove the kale stems because they are very bitter. You’ll also need to cook the kale for a few extra minutes to get it to wilt and soften.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Spinach Recipes
Photos used in a previous version of this post:
This is SPOT ON! Our favorite side at our favorite steak house ,Three Oak in Easton PA! This also satisfies my craving for Oysters Rockefeller, and less work. Thank you?
Oh my goodness!!!! As someone who HATES cooking, this recipe was restaurant quality even with me making it!!! It is PERFECT exactly the way the recipe states. I can’t wait to make this for my husband’s monthly Bible Men’s Group!! It’s a very elegant-looking dish and I will use this dish for formal get-togethers!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!!
How much did this make I am making it for a church function?
This turned out fantastic and no need to augment or adjust. Perfect just as it is! 5 stars
Just finished this up for our Thanksgiving table 2022!! Thank you for this epic crowd pleaser!! DOUBLED IT!!
Reading the comments …. Wow what a bunch of Karen’s. I made this recipe last thanksgiving and everyone loved it. They enjoyed it in dip form the most. Planning on making again this year.
Sabrina,
This creamed spinach sounds divine. I have recently had foot surgery, and I’m hoping to be able to make things in advance. I cannot stand on my foot long enough to create this beautiful dish as written. Can I make and reheat this? If so, how? Please help!
Nancy
I just want to add that I discovered by accident that baked sweet potato is the perfect 2nd side for creamed spinach
Absolutely delish!!!! Would not change a thing.
I made this in about 15-30 min, halved the recipe and omitted the nutmeg because i didn’t have it. I’ll be honest i also adjusted the roux (flour and cream)
doesn’t even matter because it was phenomenal!
I took a little shortcut and did not steam the spinach separately. I threw it in at the end and let it wilt in the thickened cream. It turned out great. I also used a gluten free flour with no affect on taste or texture.
I halved the recipe and followed the suggestion of adding the spinach directly into the roux/cheese mixture. I used an entire 1.5 lb package of Power Greens from Costco. It was delicious and a lot less work than boiling and squeezing the the moisture out of the spinach.
Sue, how many people did you serve using Costco’s power greens?
Wow. First time eating creamed spinach and I think I started with the best. Easy to prepare and completely delicious. Thank you for sharing. This is a keeper.
Inaccurate prep and cook times. If you look at the recipe, just the times written on there to wait for the onions to be translucent and for the cheese to melt and thicken take 18 minutes(not 15 minutes); not including all the other steps.
Also, you’ll be an industrial size pot and pan if you go by the recipe’s instructions. I own a wok and not even that could hold the full mixture at the end.
You sound extremely inexperienced lol. You probably messed your temps up too.
First of all, I don’t know any good cook that really follows the time, except for baking.
I don’t even like creamed spinach and I could eat the whole pot of this!!! This is so good it’s crazy!!
This sounds delicious, can I make ahead and freeze (for about 2 weeks)
I’ve frozen it before. It’s always excellent.
I made this today. I did not follow the instructions, But I did put all the ingredients plus a little cayenne pepper. Put it in the oven baked it for probably about 20 minutes.This was fabulous. If you are looking for a great recipe this is it. I paired it with short ribs and it was wonderful thank you thank you thank you.
True to taste. Simple to make and nice.
This dish is easy and amazing. I would not change a thing! I’m an American living in Italy and I’m having an “American dinner “ this was a hit!! Thank you ??
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.
Yuck! Canned spinach??? Do stores even have that any more?
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.
Exactly! Some people are so rude!
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.
Second time making this & it’s delicious. I definitely think it needs more spinach. The first time I made it, I used 1lb of frozen. This time, I used 30oz… IMO, still not enough spinach, but I am huge on texture. I’m going to make again & add more spinach to my liking. I still gave it 5 starts because flavor-wise, amazing! I also did add garlic powder to amp of the garlic flavor, but those are the only 2 things I changed.
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!