
There’s a reason creamed spinach is such a classic – it goes with nearly any main dish and wins over picky eaters with its creamy goodness. It’s a great addition to Sunday dinner with the family and an easy option for holiday meals because you can prepare it ahead of time and simply reheat it when needed.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
This easy creamed spinach recipe, with its creamy texture, subtle sweetness, and a touch of nutmeg flavor, is comfort food at its finest. It’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, and I’ve been making this version for decades. Made with frozen chopped spinach, it’s essentially the same recipe my mom and grandmother used to make with a few little tweaks. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- FROZEN CHOPPED SPINACH: While we love using fresh spinach in many other dishes, we choose frozen when making creamed spinach because it delivers reliable results. It’s easy to cook off the liquid completely before combining it with the other ingredients, so our creamed spinach always has the right thick, creamy consistency.
- ONION: We recommend using sweet onion in this dish for its mild flavor.
- WHOLE MILK: We’ve made creamed spinach with whole milk, half-and-half, and heavy cream. After making the roux and adding all the other ingredients, we found heavy cream was too rich for our taste. There wasn’t much difference between the half-and-half and milk, so we’ve settled on whole milk. It’s a saving in fat, calories, and money.
- CREAM CHEESE: Since we don’t call for a lot of cream cheese, regular cream cheese is our go-to, but we’ve used reduced fat, too. Either way is good.
- SOUR CREAM: We recommend regular sour cream instead of reduced fat because it blends more smoothly.
- NUTMEG: In our opinion, nutmeg is an essential ingredient in creamed spinach. You don’t need a lot, and we recommend adding it to taste. We use whole nutmeg and grind it fresh, but ground nutmeg works just fine.
How to Make Easy Creamed Spinach
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
COOK THE SPINACH: Add the frozen spinach to a large, heavy frying pan. Cook over medium heat, breaking apart frozen chunks with a wooden spoon, until the spinach has thawed completely and all moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
SAUTÉ THE ONION: Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.


MAKE THE ROUX: Sprinkle the flour over the onion and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture turns a pale golden color, 4 to 5 minutes. Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute, then slowly stir it into the onion and flour mixture. Add the salt and a few grinds of black pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.

ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Stir in the spinach, combine thoroughly, and add the cream and sour cream. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed, then add the nutmeg. Combine well and continue cooking, stirring often, until the creamed spinach is hot and bubbly, about 5 minutes longer.
FINISH THE DISH: Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then transfer the creamed spinach to a serving dish.
Make Ahead Tips
Creamed spinach can be made up to two days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator. To reheat, remove the spinach from the refrigerator for 30 minutes to remove the chill, then coat a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Add the spinach, cover tightly, and heat in a 325°F oven until hot and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir once about midway through the heating.
What to Serve With Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach goes with all sorts of main dishes, but we like it best alongside entrées with simple flavors and preparation methods. Our favorites include prime rib (standing rib roast), roast chicken, pan-seared pork chops, and meatloaf.

Easy Creamed Spinach (Made with Frozen Spinach)
Ingredients
- 8 cups frozen chopped spinach, 20 ounces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add the frozen spinach to a large, heavy frying pan. Cook over medium heat, breaking apart frozen chunks with a wooden spoon, until the spinach has thawed completely and all moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
- Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture turns a pale golden color, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute, then slowly stir it into the onion and flour mixture. Add the salt and a few grinds of black pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach, combine thoroughly, and add the cream and sour cream. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed, then add the nutmeg.
- Combine well and continue cooking, stirring often, until the creamed spinach is hot and bubbly, about 5 minutes longer.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then transfer the creamed spinach to a serving dish.
Notes
Make Ahead Tips
Creamed spinach can be made up to two days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator. To reheat, remove the spinach from the refrigerator for 30 minutes to remove the chill, then coat a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Add the spinach, cover tightly, and heat in a 325°F oven until hot and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir once about midway through the heating.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.