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Inspired by Longhorn Steakhouse, this Creamed Spinach Bake is so flavorful and lusciously creamy, topped with a crusty cheesy top and specks of crispy bacon. Make it with fresh or frozen spinach for the ultimate holiday side dish!
Whether you’re making a steakhouse dinner at home or adding this to the holiday dinner table, this creamed spinach is sure to be a hit – even for the spinach haters!
Why You’ll Love Creamed Spinach Bake
❤️ Decadent and Comforting – this creamy baked spinach is so rich and dreamy, full of parmesan cheese, cream and tons of garlicky flavor.
❤️ Holiday Staple – perfect for your holiday side dish lineup, creamed spinach pairs well with mac and cheese, southern sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and just about any protein from poultry to holiday steak.
❤️ So Easy to Make – we all have tons of running around to do and plenty of recipes to make. It’s helpful to find an easy holiday side that’s easy to whip together.
❤️ Spinach Haters Love It! – you heard that right, even people who (claim to) hate spinach adore this recipe. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to resist any dish that includes parmesan, butter, and cream.
Key Ingredients
This creamed spinach bake used a short list of easy to find ingredients! Be sure to review the recipe card for all the measurements.
Spinach – you can use fresh spinach or frozen whole leaf spinach (chopped is not appealing in this recipe).
Butter & Flour – we’ll make a roux with a combination of butter and flour to help thicken the sauce base.
Garlic – a little fresh garlic adds fantastic flavor to this popular holiday side dish.
Heavy Cream – decadent and creamy, the heavy cream is the base for the sauce. To lighten this up you can substitute for half and half.
Longhorn Seasoning (homemade) – this is optional but adds a fantastic flavor when it’s dusted over the crusty cheese topping.
Parmesan Cheese – freshly grated off the rind, a quality parmesan block will add much more flavor.
Bacon – crispy bacon adds a crunchy savory texture to contrast the creaminess. It is optional and you are welcome to omit this ingredient.
How to Make Creamed Spinach Bake
Make a Roux
Melt butter in an oven safe skillet over medium heat and add garlic. Cook until fragrant. Stir in flour to make a paste.
Lower heat to medium-low and add in heavy cream and half & half. Stir until it starts to thicken.
Add in Cheese and Spinach
Add in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir until combined. Add a little more cream/half & half if it’s too thick.
Add in spinach leaves in batches and stir until they start to wilt.
Top with remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese. Optionally, sprinkle the top with the Longhorn seasoning blend.
Bake Creamed Spinach
Bake about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is browned. As soon as it comes out of the oven, top with crispy diced bacon.
Make-Ahead Tips
If you plan to make this creamed spinach bake ahead for a holiday or dinner, you’ll prepare it as instruction up until it needs to bake. Be sure to prepare it in the pan you plan to bake it in.
Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 days ahead. When it’s time to bake, preheat oven and place on the counter for 30 minutes. Then bake it as instructed. You may need a few extra minutes since it was refrigerated.
Storage and Reheating
Storing – cover the baked and cooled creamed spinach bake tightly with plastic wrap or place in an air tight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Reheating in the Microwave – the easiest method is heating your desired portion in a microwave safe bowl on plate for 45 seconds – 1 minute or until warmed through.
Oven Reheating – To reheat a larger portion, place in an oven-safe baking dish, cover with foil and bake in a oven preheated to 300 degrees. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until warmed through (check the center to ensure).
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I hope you enjoyed this holiday side dish recipe for this creamed spinach bake! I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Creamed Spinach Bake
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1 heaping tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 1.5 cups half & half
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups parmesan cheese divided
- 16 ounces fresh spinach leaves* or 1 box frozen leaf spinach, not chopped
- 5 strips crispy bacon for topping
- optional; 2 teaspoons seasoning blend (recipe in notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in an oven safe skillet over medium heat and add garlic. Cook until fragrant. Stir in flour to make a paste.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add in heavy cream and half & half. Stir until it starts to thicken.
- Add in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir until combined. Add a little more cream/half & half if it’s too thick.
- Add in spinach leaves in batches and stir until they start to wilt.
- Top with remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese. Optionally, sprinkle the top with the Longhorn seasoning blend.
- Bake about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is browned. As soon as it comes out of the oven, top with crispy diced bacon.
Notes
1 1⁄4 teaspoons paprika
1 1⁄4 teaspoons black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
1⁄2teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4teaspoon ground cayenne
1⁄4teaspoon turmeric
1⁄4teaspoon ground coriander
