Spinach Gratin

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on Last updated

32 Comments

5 from 6 votes
8 Servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
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Spinach Gratin is the ultimate cheesy side dish, with Gruyere cheese, Parmesan, onions, nutmeg and cream with a crispy top and melty filling. 

If you enjoyed my recipe for Ultimate Spinach Artichoke Dip but want something a bit more savory and substantial to serve up at a holiday meal, you should try Spinach Gratin. Out of all my Side Dish Recipes, this is the king of rich, creamy, casserole-like green vegetable based recipes you can feel good about eating while maintaining your layer of delicious golden brown cheese on top.

Spinach GratinSPINACH GRATIN

If you’re looking for a delicious, cheesy spinach side dish that you can serve at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, then try out my Spinach Gratin recipe. It turns out savory, golden brown, and delicious, and is extremely easy to whip up, which makes it great if this if your first time hosting and you’ve got a million other things to get done before the in-laws get there.

Using Fresh Spinach vs. Frozen Spinach

This Gratin recipe calls for frozen spinach for ease, but you can use fresh spinach if you have a little more time to work with. If using fresh spinach, blanche it first in boiling water for just 30 seconds, then cool in ice water immediately. Once cooled you can drain and chop it as you would frozen spinach.

You can make this easy recipe in a gratin dish if you want to be fancy, or even just a nice bowl to go with your holiday meal, and you can customize it to fit the tastes of those finicky relatives who show up every year but never bring anything. It’s easy to make, easy to clean up after, and you can even make it the day before to make Thanksgiving dinner a little less stressful.

HOW TO MAKE SPINACH GRATIN

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking dish.
  • Melt butter in a large dutch oven then add in the onions and cook on medium heat until translucent, about 10-12 minutes.
  • Whisk in the flour and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in the heavy cream and milk and cook for 5-7 minutes until thickened.
  • Drain and squeeze the spinach dry then add it into the dutch oven and whisk well to combine.
  • Add in the salt, pepper, parmesan and gruyere cheese and whisk well.
  • Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until the top is browned and slightly crispy.

MORE HOLIDAY SIDE DISH RECIPES

Spinach Gratin

VARIATIONS ON SPINACH GRATIN

  • Add ins: Potato and spinach gratin or kale and spinach gratin are two variations on Spinach Gratin that are definitely worth a try. They are absolutely delicious and the additional veggies work really well with the bitter, earthy tang of the spinach.
  • Keto: Spinach Gratin is already pretty keto friendly, you just have to exchange the flour for coconut flour and you’re set.
  • Vegan: To make vegan Spinach Gratin, use coconut milk and cashew cream instead of dairy milk and cream. There are also a variety of vegan cheeses available at a good number of grocery stores that you can use instead of Gruyere and parmesan, but keep in mind that you may have to add some extra spices to get the same rich flavor.

SPINACH GRATIN FAQS

  • What does au Gratin translate to? It is a culinary term that means browned topping, typically breadcrumbs or cheese. It is derived from the French word gratter which means “to grate”.
  • Can I make au Gratin in advance? Yes, you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time, but it is better eaten fresh.

HOLIDAY MAIN DISH RECIPES

HOW LONG IS SPINACH GRATIN GOOD?

    • Serve: Don’t leave Spinach Gratin out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours at room temperature.
    • Store: As long as you keep it in a sealable container or plastic wrap, Spinach Gratin will stay good for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Be sure that you let it fully cool down to room temperature before you store it.
    • Freeze: You can keep your Spinach Gratin in the freezer for up to 3 months.

metal baking pan of Spinach Gratin

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Dinner, then Dessert

Spinach Gratin

Spinach Gratin is the ultimate cheesy side dish, with Gruyere cheese, Parmesan, onions, nutmeg and cream with a crispy top and melty filling.
Yield 8 Servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French
Author Sabrina Snyder
Spinach Gratin
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onions , finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg , freshly grated
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 3 pounds frozen spinach , chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese , grated

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking dish.
  • Melt butter in a large dutch oven then add in the onions and cook on medium heat until translucent, about 10-12 minutes.
  • Whisk in the flour and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in the heavy cream and milk and cook for 5-7 minutes until thickened.
  • Drain and squeeze the spinach dry then add it into the dutch oven and whisk well to combine.
  • Add in the salt, pepper, parmesan and gruyere cheese and whisk well.
  • Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until the top is browned and slightly crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 1266mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 20849IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 554mg | Iron: 4mg

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Collage photos of Spinach Gratin

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Looking forward to making this! Just confirming: 3 pounds (48 ounces) of frozen spinach? So nearly five 10 ounce boxes (common size) of frozen spinach?

    Reply

    1. Yes, a lot of the weight in frozen spinach is water and a lot of that will evaporate out during baking.

      Reply

  3. Made this to have with Crab Imperial that I made for a group of eight. It made such a hit and was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be adding this to a list of my faves. It’s so easy to prepare ahead of time and then just put it in the oven .

    Reply

    1. Yes, shouldn’t be a problem! Just reheat gently and if reheating in oven add a touch of water to the top and cover with foil so it doesn’t dry out. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply

  5. I will be making this for Thanksgiving, as well. I couldn’t get the Gruyere, though. Can I substitute this with Gouda?

    Reply

  6. If I’m making this dish the night before, would I just wait until the next morning to bake it? Will it take longer to bake from being stored in the refrigerator? Thank you!!

    Reply

    1. Yes, that would work when making it ahead of time. It may take an additional 5-10 minutes of baking time due to it being colder to start. Just keep an eye on it. Enjoy!

      Reply

  8. Hi! I was wondering if I was doubling the recipe and cooking in a 9×13 dish, how much longer would you recommend baking it for? Thank you in advance !!

    Reply

    1. It might not need any additional time, maybe 5 more minutes. Just watch it after the 20 min mark and take it out once i’s browned and slightly crispy. Enjoy!

      Reply

  9. I am confused about the caloric intake per serving. I understand there is 18 g of carbs per serving, but, that does not eliminate the 340 kcal/serving. Can you clarify please?

    Reply

  10. Regarding the spinach gratin recipe, by using the coconut flour will it make the recipe thinner? Can I successfully use cornstarch? I have a gluten sensitivity.
    Thanks,
    Debbie

    Reply

  11. Ok, you’ve convinced me! Usually, Spinach Gratin recipes are not very appetizing to look at, but somehow you’ve managed to capture the deliciousness! I’ll be trying this for Thanksgiving. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Certainly! If using fresh spinach, blanche it first in boiling water for just 30 seconds, then cool in ice water immediately. Once cooled you can drain and chop it as you would frozen spinach.

      Reply

      1. I think you may have misread that. It is 340 calories per serving and 18g. Hope this eases your mind a bit, that would be an insane amount of carbs haha 🙂

        Reply