This creamed spinach gratin recipe is heavy and rich and so dang good, especially with the crunchy panko bread crumb topping.
Fresh spinach is baked with nutmeg, milk, heavy whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, and lots of butter to take this spinach gratin recipe over the top.
Creamy Spinach Gratin Indulgence
I don't indulge much, but spinach gratin is one thing that hits the spot. Creamed spinach gratin is perfect for the holidays or the occasional rich dish. You will not have leftovers.
This gratin recipe calls for boiling the spinach but you can also use a steaming basket to cook the spinach. The spinach still needs to have excess water "wrung out" with either cooking method before continuing with the rest of the recipe.
Don't skip the buttery panko breadcrumb topping. It ties together the creaminess and richness of spinach gratin.
Use Frozen Spinach Instead of Fresh For Gratin
Want to use frozen spinach instead of fresh for spinach gratin?
Cool - use ~ 8-10 oz frozen per pound of fresh spinach. Defrost completely and wring any excess water out.
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Creamed Spinach Gratin with Breadcrumbs
EatSimpleFood.com
This creamed spinach gratin recipe is heavy and rich and so dang good, especially with the crunchy panko bread crumb topping. Fresh spinach is baked with nutmeg, heavy whipping cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, and lots of butter to take it over the top.
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2lb fresh spinach
- 1 ¼ cup onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Bring a pan to medium heat, melt 3 tablespoon butter, and add the bread crumbs to coat. Remove from heat and set aside. The purpose is to coat the bread crumbs with the melted butter, not to brown them.
- Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil and add spinach to simmering water until wilted (a couple minutes). Work with a couple handfuls at a time unless you have a huge pot. Tongs work well to move the spinach around and get it to the colander.
- Transfer cooked spinach to a colander and drain.
- Run cool water over spinach and wring out most of the excess liquid. You can break apart the cooked spinach with your hands at this point unless you would rather chop it. Set Spinach aside.
- Bring a large pan to medium heat and add 2 tablespoon butter and onions. Reduce heat and cook covered ("sweat") ~ 5-7 minutes or until translucent.
- Stir in flour and cook for ~ 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly add cream and milk and bring to a simmer (stirring constantly). Reduce heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Remove from heat and add spinach to sauce and transfer to a ~ 9x9x2 baking dish.
- Top with buttered panko bread crumbs.
- Cook uncovered ~ 20 minutes or until bubbling. Place a piece of foil over the breadcrumbs if they start to turn brown or burn.
- Cool before serving. Add salt to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie
Notes
- You can also use a steaming basket to cook the spinach but will still need to wring out excess water.
- You can also use 20 oz defrosted frozen spinach (any water squeezed out) and skip this step if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop / Oven
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Keto, Low-Carb, Vegetarian
Things In My Kitchen:
- Over the sink colander - For when you don't want your colander sitting in your dirty sink.
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Serving Suggestion
Serve creamed spinach gratin with one of these complementary Thanksgiving or Christmas recipes:
You May Also Like
If you like this creamed spinach gratin recipe with breadcrumbs then you may also like these rich heavy whipping cream based recipes:
Creamed Spinach Gratin with Breadcrumbs FAQ
Yes. Use ~ 8-10 oz frozen spinach per pound of fresh spinach. Defrost completely and wring out excess water.
This is one of the best things I have eaten in my entire 47, almost 48, years. Incredible!