Creamed Spinach

Accompanying my dinner Christmas Eve was a side dish of creamed spinach. It was delicious and the experience was like finding a long lost friend. Since we were dining out, I couldn’t ask the chef for the recipe but was determined to find one. It has taken quite a while, but here it is.

INGREDIENTS

1    bag (10 ounces) fresh spinach or baby spinach
4    tablespoons butter
½   cup finely chopped white onion
3    tablespoons all-purpose flour
1    cup low fat (2%) milk
¼   teaspoon ground nutmeg
1    ounce cream cheese

1    pinch salt

METHOD

Being sort of fussy, I like to remove the heavy stems from the spinach before continuing, but it isn’t completely necessary. Roughly chop the spinach and place into a steamer. Steam for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped onions. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes until they are very soft but do not caramelize. Slowly sprinkle the flour into the skillet and mix thoroughly forming a roux. Gradually pour the milk into the skillet and mix it into the roux.

Add the nutmeg and thin slices of the cream cheese to the sauce and stir until the cream cheese is completely absorbed and the sauce has thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly before serving.

Based upon recipes from Ruth’s  Chris Steakhouse via Food.com, Real Simple Magazine and many more from the internet.