Okay, I know not everyone likes spinach and maybe you have tried to avoid it like the plague since you were a kid, but in my opinion I would much rather have spinach as a vegetable than a side of kale. I know it seems sacrilegious to say that about kale today since it is a “super food” and all, but there is just something about kale that I makes me rather have something else – like spinach. Surprisingly, we never had a problem getting Sean to eat spinach either and it ranks among the family favorites in vegetables. Besides, you can do a lot of things with it besides just steaming it. It is great raw in a salad or on sandwiches instead of lettuce and of course, one of the favorites around the holidays is always creamed spinach, which is the recipe I am posting today. I actually made this right around the holidays and forgot to post about it, but here it is today and it is easy enough where you can really make this any time of the year. This particular recipe comes from the Food Network’s Sunny Anderson and comes together pretty quickly in the oven and makes use of frozen spinach.

Creamed Spinach

4 tablespoons butter, plus more for the pan

1/2 red onion, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons red chili flakes

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sour cream

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup packaged fried onions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter and 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and a pinch of salt. Saute the onion for about 3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and the red chili flakes and saute the mixture for 2 minutes more. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and the nutmeg. heat the mixture until the cream is just beginning to bubble, stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the burner off and stir in the sour cream and the spinach. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed to taste. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with the fried onions. Bake the spinach until the top is golden and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Granted this may not be the healthiest version of eating spinach out there but it does taste pretty good. It does seem a lot like the typical green bean casserole that you might also find around the holidays and the flavors will remind you of that. One thing you want to remember is to make sure to thaw and dry the frozen spinach as much as you can to get as much liquid out as possible otherwise you will end up with a very runny dish. I did leave out the red chili flakes in my recipe but if you like a little added heat to your dish you should put it in. You end up with a very creamy, tasty side dish that goes really well with just about any type of beef, poultry and pork meal. this also works well if you need to bring a side dish to a party or buffet dinner. Unfortunately, this is also one of those dishes that I neglected to take a picture of so I don’t have one to share with you as to how it came out. Sorry about that. I am trying better, I promise.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!