From the roundup: 12 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes Everyone Will Ask About
Creamed spinach with Gruyere is one of those sides I make every Thanksgiving because I can finish it two days early and just reheat it while the turkey rests. The active work is maybe 15 minutes: cook down the spinach, build a quick bechamel, melt in the cheese. The rest is just stirring and waiting for the sauce to thicken.
The one step that actually matters is squeezing the spinach as dry as you possibly can before it goes into the sauce. I skipped this once, thinking it was close enough, and ended up with a watery gray mess instead of something creamy. Use a clean kitchen towel, gather it up, and wring it hard. That is the whole secret to this dish working.
Gruyere melts into the bechamel smoothly and adds a nutty depth that plain Swiss or cheddar does not quite match, though both will work in a pinch. If you are feeding six and need the stovetop free on Thanksgiving day, this reheats beautifully with a splash of milk stirred in over low heat.
Why you will love this
- One saucepan start to finish, so cleanup is minimal on an already crowded holiday
- Works with fresh or frozen spinach depending on what you have on hand
- Can be fully made 2 days ahead and reheated gently, which frees up your stovetop on Thanksgiving
- The Gruyere bechamel is thick and rich without being as heavy as a potato side
- Nutmeg and white pepper give it a classic steakhouse flavor that feels intentional, not accidental
Tips for success
- Squeeze the spinach harder than you think you need to. Roll it in a kitchen towel and wring it out twice. Any water left in the spinach will thin the sauce and make it look grayish rather than creamy.
- Warm the milk before adding it to the roux. Cold milk hitting a hot roux is the most common reason for a lumpy bechamel. Thirty seconds in the microwave is enough.
- Keep the heat at medium when you whisk in the milk, and do not walk away. Three to four minutes of steady whisking is what gives you a smooth, spoon-coating sauce.
- Add the Gruyere off full heat, with the burner turned to low. High heat after the cheese goes in can make the sauce grainy rather than glossy.
If your sauce turns out thin or lumpy
- Thin sauce almost always means the spinach was not squeezed dry enough. Let it simmer uncovered on low for a few extra minutes, stirring often, and it will tighten up.
- Small lumps in the bechamel will usually smooth out if you keep whisking over medium heat. If they persist, a quick pass with a whisk and a slightly higher flame for 60 seconds usually fixes it.
- If the sauce looks broken or greasy after adding the cheese, the heat was too high. Pull the pan off the burner, add a tablespoon of warm milk, and stir steadily until it comes back together.
- Too salty after the spinach is in: a small splash of milk stirred in will mellow it without thinning the texture much.
Substitutions
Gruyere is worth seeking out, but if it is not available or over budget, a mild Swiss cheese works and melts just as smoothly. A sharp white cheddar will change the flavor profile a bit but still produces a good sauce. For the milk, half-and-half makes the sauce noticeably richer; reduced-fat milk makes it slightly thinner but still works. If you cannot find white pepper, a small pinch of cayenne is a reasonable swap and adds a little heat.
Frozen chopped spinach is a perfectly fine substitute for fresh. Use two 10-ounce packages, thaw them completely, and squeeze them very dry in a kitchen towel before they go anywhere near the sauce. The texture is slightly softer than fresh but most people at the table will not notice.
Make-ahead and storage
This dish is genuinely better made ahead. Cook it fully, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm it in a saucepan over low heat and stir in whole milk a tablespoon at a time until the sauce loosens back to a creamy consistency. Stir frequently and keep the heat low so the bottom does not scorch.
Freezing is not recommended. The cream sauce separates when thawed and the spinach releases more water, leaving you with a watery, curdled texture that is hard to recover. Stick to the 3-day refrigerator window and reheat gently.
Creamed Spinach with Gruyere
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If using fresh spinach, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach in batches and cook for just 1 minute until wilted. Drain in a colander, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel around the spinach and squeeze as hard as you can until very little water comes out. Roughly chop the spinach and set it aside. If using frozen spinach, thaw it completely and squeeze it the same way in a kitchen towel until it is nearly dry. This step is critical: watery spinach will thin out the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Do not let it brown.
- Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onion and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. The mixture will look like a thick paste, which is exactly right.
- Pour in the warm milk in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly. Keep whisking over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. It should be smooth with no lumps. If you see small lumps, keep whisking over heat and they will smooth out.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the grated Gruyere and stir until it is fully melted and the sauce is glossy. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.
- Add the squeezed, chopped spinach to the sauce and stir well to combine. Let everything simmer together over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach is fully incorporated and the mixture is thick and creamy. Taste and adjust salt if needed, then serve hot.
Notes
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