Easy Homemade Creamed Spinach

Homemade creamed spinach is a favorite of mine going way back to when I used to work at Boston Market. It was actually called Boston Chicken then. Remember that?? O.M.G. Am I old?

What makes Boston Market’s creamed spinach so good?

Boston Market’s creamed spinach is very rich and there’s a lot of spinach. Not too much cream which seems healthier and also better tasting.

Boston Market uses a blend of cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. However, if you don’t have Parmesan cheese on hand or don’t want to buy an extra ingredient, this creamed spinach recipe tastes just fine without it. I’ve made it both way.

If you’re looking to replicate Boston’s Market’s recipe at home, you’ll find adding a little Parmesan cheese will give you that familiar flavor.

What exactly makes this recipe for creamed spinach recipe better than others?

The secret ingredient that everyone is always surprised by and loves is the water chestnuts. The water chestnuts are very tiny but give an otherwise very creamy dish, a subtle crunch. They’re the perfect, refreshing complement to the rich flavor of the cream cheese too.

I’ve noticed even family members who don’t typically like spinach, usually go back for seconds. 😉

What ingredients do you need to make this homemade creamed spinach recipe?

Other than spinach of course, you will need: butter, flour, shallot, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, sea salt, white pepper, and water chestnuts.

What if you don’t have a shallot?

What I love about shallots is that you get the flavor of onion and garlic all in one shot. It makes this dish quick and easy to prep. However, if you don’t have a shallot handy or can’t easily find them at your grocery store, you can substitute chopped onions and minced garlic in place of the shallot.

How to make this creamed spinach — it’s quick and easy!

Watch this step-by-step video showing you how it’s done:

Creamed spinach is an easy holiday or pot luck side dish.

I love creamed spinach because it’s super easy to make and is a great alternative to green bean casserole for holiday get-togethers which, for us, typically happens for birthdays and other holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.

Creamed spinach freezes well.

It’s also easy enough to whip up as a side dish for a weeknight meal. Just cut the recipe down according to your family size or make a big batch and freeze the leftovers for another day. Just reheat using the microwave or in a small pot on the stove, stirring while you reheat.

Want a creamier texture?

Add a little extra milk or creamer if it looks too dry. Sometimes the milk evaporates during the cooking process so, simply add some back in if that happens. You can add more milk at any time during the cooking process just give it a little time to heat up if you add it at the end.

Pin this creamed spinach recipe now so you can make it later!

Want more side dish ideas?

I have a few for you! Browse all my side dish recipes.

Helpful tool for making this creamed spinach recipe:

Dutch Oven – Go from stove top to oven without changing pots
Oven Safe Casserole Dish – If you don’t want to invest in a dutch oven, a big casserole dish is perfect for transporting and reheating this side dish.
Silicon Whisk – Silicon so you don’t scratch your cookware
Ceramic Knife – Foods don’t stick to it and then roll away!
Cutting board – A no-brainier but maybe it’s time to upgrade yours or get a back up?
Silicon Spatula – Useful for scraping sides while stirring
Butter Dish with Lid – Room temperature butter is easier to work with.
Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers – Okay, you don’t need these but I’m obsessed with mine. It literally makes me happy to shake salt.

While you’re here, check out my other popular recipes.

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This Boston-Market style easy creamed spinach recipe was featured on Wow Me Wednesday, Hearth & Soul, Menu Plan Monday and Meal Plan Monday!

Easy Homemade Creamed Spinach

5 from 9 reviews

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Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Skill Level: Easy

Recipe Type: Christmas, Easter Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Party Recipes, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 2 tbsp butter
• ▢ 2 tbsp flour
• ▢ 1 large shallot diced
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups milk or MORE as desired to thin out sauce
• ▢ 4 oz whipped cream cheese softened
• ▢ 2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese or more to taste
• ▢ 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 tsp sea salt or more to taste
• ▢ 1/4 tsp white pepper or more to taste
• ▢ 4 10oz blocks of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and pressed
• ▢ 1 4oz can water chestnuts, drained and minced

Instructions

• Thaw and press excess water from spinach using a colander. Set aside.
• In a small dutch oven or large skillet, saute shallots in butter over medium heat until translucent.
• Then whisk in flour until thick. Let bubble for about 1-2 minutes to reduce the floury taste.
• Slowly pour in milk then add cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir until a thick sauce is formed. Add salt, nutmeg and white pepper.
• Stir in spinach and minced water chestnuts until thoroughly mixed. Let cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally then it's ready to serve!
• If you need to transport this, put it in your crockpot and set to warm.

Video