Creamed Spinach Recipe

Steps

1. Start by prepping all your veggies! Chop 2 shallots into a dice. Smash 5 garlic cloves and mince them. Chop 16 ounces of spinach into smaller pieces. Set aside.

2. In a 12-inch high sided skillet, add 5 tablespoons butter. Melt over medium heat.

3. Add the 2 chopped shallots and stir.

4. Add all the spices: 2 and 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adds flavor, not heat), and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

5. Let the shallots and spices cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the shallots are soft.

6. Add 5 cloves of minced garlic and stir. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

7. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the mixture. Stir for 1 more minute, until all the butter has absorbed into the flour.

8. With the heat still set to medium, SLOWLY add 1 and 1/2 cups of milk. The process will take several minutes. Add in maybe 1/4 cup of the milk (just pour some in, you don't need to measure) and stir it together until it's completely absorbed into the flour mixture. Then do it again. Repeat, waiting every time to add more liquid until all of it has been absorbed. Eventually, it will turn into a white sauce.

9. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream slowly to the sauce. Stir until it has all come together.

10. Start adding 16 ounces chopped spinach to the pan with the white sauce. Add the spinach in increments. Pile some on top of the sauce, then stir a minute or two until it wilts down, then add some more fresh spinach and repeat until ALL of the spinach has been added. It looks like a lot! Put it all in! Trust!

11. Once all of the chopped spinach has been added, simmer the creamed spinach for about 10 minutes. Keep the heat at medium or medium low, whatever will get you a very low simmer. Do not let the mixture boil, or your sauce will break. You must be gentle with cream! It has a delicate soul.

12. After about 10 minutes, add in 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese. Stir until melted.

13. Zest 1 lemon with a microplane grater, then cut it and squeeze out the juice. Take the creamed spinach off the heat, then add the zest and juice to the pan.

14. Give your creamed spinach a final taste and adjust the seasonings however you like. If you're not sure if it's right, ask yourself, do I want to take a second bite immediately? Then, do I want to take 10 more bites? That's my favorite question to ask myself when I'm trying to decide if a dish is "done."

15. Store covered in the fridge. Heat on low on the stove, or in the microwave!

16. Make ahead: You can make creamed spinach up to 2 days ahead! Perfect for Thanksgiving. Make it as instructed, store covered in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave or on low in a pan on the stove.