When my son was younger, he was not a big fan of vegetables. One day, while at a Costco, they sampled cream spinach on a cracker. He could not resist crackers, so was willing to try it, and loved the creamed spinach. After several years of perfecting a homemade creamed spinach, I came up with this recipe. Even my vegetable-phobic husband loves this creamed spinach!
Four Cheese Creamed Spinach
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 1/2 c. Finely chopped Onion
- 1 Clove Garlic, Finally minced
- 4-5 Pieces of Crispy Bacon
- 3 Tbsp. Superfine Flour (Wondra)
- 2 c. Half and Half
- 1/2 c. Milk
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- 16 oz. Container of Fresh Spinach
- 1 c. Grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 c. Mozzarella Cheese. shredded
- 1/2 c. Gruyère Cheese, shredded
- 1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Wash and dry the fresh spinach, and set aside. Melt the butter in a large six-quart stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is opaque. Crumble the bacon and add to the onions. Sprinkle the onion mixture with the flour, stir, and add the half and half, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir until the cream thickens slightly. When the spinach has wilted to about half its size, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Toss together to mix in with the cream. Add the mozzarella, Gruyère, and Cheddar cheese and continue to mix until the cheese is melted into the cream. Add the spinach and stir. Cover the pot and allow the spinach to wilt into the cream as it cooks, about 3-4 minutes. Give a final toss to blend the cheese sauce into the spinach. Serve immediately.