Cheesy Creamed Spinach Casserole uses frozen chopped spinach for the creamed spinach base with added cream cheese and a grated cheese topping.
Some how, I developed a taste for spinach as a young child. I don’t know where it happened. It must have been the school lunchroom because we never had any type of spinach or spinach dish at home. Saying the word “spinach” made my mother shutter. She did recognize the nutritional benefits of eating green leafy vegetables so she would buy cans of spinach for me. Spinach has become quite popular raw. Truth be told, I like it better cooked than raw. I would rather have spinach sautéed in olive oil and garlic than a spinach salad.
I don’t know that Popeye successfully influenced many kids to eat their spinach. In fact, I suppose he flat-out gave up on it.
I admit the whole thing was a little weird. A tobacco smoking sailor, with a skinny little body and overly developed forearms, hawked a canned vegetable that most people didn’t like. As strange as it may appear on the surface, I think we could do with a little more Popeye and lot less entertainment celebrities who act like idiots on social media.
Just sayin’.
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Cheesy Creamed Spinach Casserole
yield: one 9-inch casserole
My choice of Asiago cheese was based on nothing more than I had some in my refrigerator. Any other hard cheese may be substituted. If Parmesan is used, additional salt might not be necessary.
1 medium sweet onion
1 tablespoon cooking oil
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup half and half
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, squeeze to remove as much water as possible.
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh grated
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese , divided
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese, divided
Saute onion in oil until tender. Set aside to cool.
Mix half and half and cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Add spinach, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, kosher salt, 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Asiago cheese and sautéed onions. Mix well.
Pour into a 9 inch buttered casserole dish. Mix together remaining cheese and spread over casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbling and top browns.
Cheesy Creamed Spinach Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 10 ounce packages frozen chopped spinach squeeze to remove as much water as possible.
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg fresh grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese divided
Instructions
- Saute onion in oil until tender. Set aside to cool.
- Mix half and half and cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Add spinach, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, kosher salt, 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Asiago cheese and sautéed onions. Mix well.
- Pour into a 9 inch buttered casserole dish. Mix together remaining cheese and spread over casserole.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbling and top browns.
Candi Martin says
Jackie, I have been prepping all day for T-day, but you just made me drool!!!! I love, love, love spinach! And creamed spinach is at the top of the list. I will be making this in the next few days. Cannot wait to try this recipe.
And, to you and yours, Jackie, may you have blessed and thankful Thanksgiving day.
Candi~
Jackie Garvin says
I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving, Candi.
The casserole turned out pretty good. When I was developing the recipe, I was afraid I was overdoing the dairy, but the bright flavor of spinach shone through just as I hoped it would. 🙂
Melia says
This sounds like the Spinach Maria you can get at Calhoun’s. I love that stuff but don’t get to Tennessee very often to enjoy it. I will try this and see how similar it is. Thanks for sharing!
Jackie Garvin says
Melia,
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Melia says
I meant to comment before. We fixed this at Christmas. It was a big hit. I will definitely be making it again…and again. 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you, Melia! I’m so glad we were a part of your Christmas dinner. 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Most of the time I love spinach but I’ve never been a fan of it at Thanksgiving. Maybe I need to rethink my priorities.
Jackie Garvin says
Maureen,
There wasn’t one bite of this casserole left today. We all really enjoyed it.
francoise couston says
Thank’s a lot for this recipe,Jackie, I’m french and we like spinach a lot. I can understand very welle but….I have a small question : what is “half and half” ? Thank you very muche for answer, and of course for the recipe
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Francoise,
It’s a dairy product we have readily accessible in US grocery stores that’s half milk and half cream. You certainly can substitute cream. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
francoise couston says
Thanks, Jackie, I’ll use some liquid cream, I think it will be OK. It’s sometimes difficult to “translate” a recipe from a country to another one…..
Jackie Garvin says
Cream is always good! Enjoy, Francois!
adam @unorthodoxepicure says
Popeye had it going on with his love for spinach. (It’s the very reason that I still love canned spinach!) Your recipe looks like something he’d have given up pipe-smoking for. Delicious!
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Adam. I can still tolerate canned spinach, too. 🙂
denise says
I may actually try to make this today….if you answer this in time ! Can I use fresh spinach and I think I only have one container 5oz ? 10 oz ? to make it. please email me directly at [email protected] as soon as you can ! maybe ??
Jackie Garvin says
Denise,
I wasn’t able to get this answered earlier today. I don’t know how much fresh spinach is the equivalent of 20 ounces frozen chopped. A lot, Im sure.
rosita vargas says
OOOh Popeye me encanta su gratinado una verdadera delicia,abrazos.
grace says
now THIS is the way to eat spinach! fantastic recipe, jackie!
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Grace!
Bonnie Banters says
I love creamed spinach and I love easy…thanks!
Jackie Garvin says
You’re most welcome, Bonnie. Enjoy!
Judy McCullough says
We loved this recipe but next time I will leave out the salt. The Asiago has plenty of salt, too. We grow lots of spinach in our garden and will be enjoying this often.
Jackie Garvin says
Judy,
You certainly have to adjust the salt for your taste preference and the sodium level of the cheese you use. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Louise says
Your recipe is probably very good, but mine is very yummy and much easier to make. Mine is just a very good homemade cheese sauce, frozen spinach and lots of grated cheddar on top.. It’s my family tradition for as long as I can remember for all holiday dinners. I may give yours a try for a variety.
Louise says
I probably would not use onion in yours as a personal choice. I seem t not like onion with spinach for some reason. I also like sauteed spinach with garlic. I never eat canned spinach, since when I was a child found a worm in it. Yuk!
Elise says
I made this tonight and it was SO good! I thought I was going to need to add an egg as a binder but decided to make it as written and it was perfect. The only thing I did differently was put some panko and spicy bread crumbs on top to add some crunch. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jackie Garvin says
Elise,
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. This will be on my Christmas dinner table this year. Great tip for bread crumb toppping!
Suzy says
Can you use canned spinach instead of frozen?
Jackie Garvin says
I never used canned spinach. The texture might be different than frozen which could make the casserole too mushy.