easy creamed spinach gratin (with frozen spinach)

I think everyone gets really excited to have a dairy meal on Shavuos since Yom Tov meals are always meat! It's hard to make a balanced meal and not just stuff in a million delicious carb filled dairy delicacies. I figured we all could use something green to add to the table, but of course still filled with creamy goodness like melted cheese and heavy cream. Easy creamed spinach gratin (with frozen spinach) it's so simple to make, and pairs beautifully with anything from penne alla vodka to salmon.

What you need for easy creamed spinach gratin (with frozen spinach)

• Butter
• Onion
• Garlic
• Flour
• Heavy cream
• Milk
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Frozen spinach
• Salt and Pepper
• Panko crumbs
• Parmesan cheese

How to make it:

1. Prepping the spinach: Start by preparing the frozen spinach. If you planned in advance and it's already defosted, simply put it in a heavy duty paper towel or kitchen towel and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Transfer to a bowl for later use. If your spinach is still frozen, you can microwave it and stir at 1 minute intervals until it's defrosted. This can take up to around 8 minutes sometimes. Continue with squeezing out the excess water with the method above.
2. Make the sauce: melt the butter in a large pot. Remove 1 tablespoon of the butter and set it aside for the topping. Sautee the onion then add the garlic and flour. Stir for 1 minute, until the flour taste cooks out. Add in the cream, milk and cheese and whisk until you have a silky smooth creamy sauce. Pour in the spinach, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Assemble: Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Combine the 1 tablespoon of butter with the panko and parmesan. Mix together and top the gratin.
4. Bake: Bake for around 30 minutes, until the gratin is golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Easy Creamed Spinach Gratin (with frozen spinach)

a delicious easy side dish filled with spinach and a creamy white sauce. It's all topped off with buttery and crunchy panko for the perfect bite.

Course Side Dish

Keyword Shavuos

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lb frozen spinach
• 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small onion diced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Topping:

• ⅓ cup panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F. Coat any 2 quart or 8"-9" baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
• If the spinach is not fully defrosted, you can microwave the spinach in 1-2 intervals. Mix and microwave again until spinach is defrosted.
• Transfer the spinach to a kitchen towel or heavy duty paper towel. Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the spinach as you can. (If your using paper towels, you may want to use a strainer as well incase it breaks) Put the spinach in a bowl and set it aside.
• To prepare the cream sauce, melt the butter in a large pot. Remove 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside for the topping. Add in the onions and sautee them for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and flour and mix for 1 minute. Add in the heavy cream, milk, and cheese. Stir to combine and let the mixture simmer and thicken for a few minutes. Fold in the spinach.
• Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. Combine the melted butter set aside earlier with the panko and parmesan to form a topping. Sprinkle it over the gratin.
• Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is golden and the mixture is bubbly. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

If you enjoyed this recipe, have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below! Or message me over on Instagram.