by Lizthechef
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4 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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2
medium-sized yellow onions, chopped
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1/4 cup
unbleached flour
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3 cups
organic whole milk
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
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pinches
of cayenne
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1 and 1/2 cup
grated Gruyere cheese
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3
16 oz. bags of organic, chopped spinach - thawed
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1/2 to 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
ground white pepper
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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1 and 1/2 cup
panko breadcrumbs
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Ask the hotline about this step!Squeeze the liquid from the thawed spinach, handful by handful. Set aside.
Ask the hotline about this step!Heat milk to simmer in saucepan.
Ask the hotline about this step!Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions and cook until wilted but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the hot milk and whisk the sauce until it thickens. Add the nutmeg and cayenne. Turn off the heat.
Ask the hotline about this step!Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Taste and correct seasoning. Add the spinach and mix in well.
Ask the hotline about this step!Pour into a 9X11 glass or ceramic baking dish. Prepare crumb topping.
Ask the hotline about this step!Melt butter in medium skillet. Add panko, sprinkle with sea salt and stir until lightly toasted. This occurs quite suddenly.
Ask the hotline about this step!Gently smooth the toasted panko on top of the gratin. Cook for 30-35 minutes until bubbling.
Ask the hotline about this step!I never tried halving it - nice to know it worked for you. Thanks.
Hi Liz- I was looking for a side dish to take to a Christmas day gathering. This is just the ticket! I will definitely take your advice re: "365" brand of spinach, and gruyere... As far as I'm concerned, in certain baked dishes (quiches,etc), nothing beats gruyere!
Lizthechef,
Can one make this recipe ahead of time? If yes, till what point?
Thanks.
Cuk
Yes, prepare the dish and refrigerate it until baking - a day ahead is OK, but I do it the morning of the dinner.
Lizthechef,
Can one make this recipe ahead of time? If yes, till what point?
Thanks.
Cuk
so delish! this came out perfectly. will absolutely make again and again and again!
so delish! this came out perfectly. will absolutely make again and again and again!
Was looking for a creamed spinach with flair and this was just the ticket. I love the nutmeg + cayenne combo to add depth. Used Swiss since it's impossible to find most cheeses in my area and it tasted delicious. If I can find it, I'll try it next time with gruyere.
Thanks!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I've made this a few times now with swiss chard and I absolutely love it. I slice the white bits finely and the green a bit more coarsely and cook them for a while in the sauce before baking. It has all the same creaminess as spinach but with a lovely slightly minerally edge. I've also found that cheaper cheddar plus some parmesan or pecorino make a good substitute if you don't have gruyere.
Thanks so much for this recipe, I could definitely polish off a whole lot of it! :)
Thanks for the tip about substituting swiss chard. I'm working on a twist using roasted butternut squash.
Made this last night, Liz! It was just wonderful! It was such a perfect comfort dish for a cold night! Thanks!
You are so very welcome - happy you enjoyed it!
Ok i made this but the cheese for this was way to expensive for me to make. I substituted feta cheese it was so yummy. I tasted the feta first to see the salt content and just did not add any salt. my husband doesn't really care for spinach or feta and he really enjoyed this. I also cut this in half for the 2 of us very easily.
I have wondered if the recipe would work cut in half - thanks for letting me know!
This was my first time purchasing frozen spinach. I was thinking frozen spinach? Really? And it was so worth it! Loved this recipe. I may make it again tonight. Yum!
Thanks - it reminds me that my freezer of full of spinach from a cancelled dinner party - so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe did not let me down. It was everything I thought it would be. I love, love, love the crunchy topping and then the soft, creamy and delightfully nutty spinach. I did go with more than a pinch of cayenne and it handled the heat perfectly. I want to thank you Liz for making me eat more than I probably should have but one bite led to another and before I knew it I had carved a huge wedge out of the baking dish before I even sat down to eat......:o) Brava!!!
It still blows me away to think folks are making my recipes, let alone enjoying them so much! Thank you for making my day - honest!
Served this for Thanksgiving - gone in seconds - thanks for the excellent recipe!
Thanks - nothing makes me happier than to pass along a good recipe!
Just added this to my Thanksgiving menu. Wanted to add another green veg to the menu. I'm sure this one will be popular!
I am so making this right after Thanksgiving (my sis-in-law insists on making these awful breaded asparagus spears and I dare not step on her green veggie contribution). I absolutely love that "Stow Fors" Creamed Spinach Souffle (hanging my head in shame) and this looks like I can finally make my own.....and it's easy. I love the addition of Gruyere cheese instead of the ones made with cream cheese.
Great - please let me know how you like it - and Happy Thanksgiving, breaded asparagus and all ;)
This is so, so good.
Thanks, Jen - I just made it myself to update the photo for my blog. We promptly wolfed it down...
It freezes and reheats beautifully, too! I made a big batch of it a while back and froze half. Thawed it, added the crumb topping and baked, and it was perfect, just as good as the first time!
Just reread the post and see that you used frozen spinach!
Sorry about that!
Thanks,
Stacey
Definitely frozen!! Under ingredients, I say "3 16 oz bags of organic, chopped spinach - thawed". I like the 365 house brand from Whole Foods. Enjoy the recipe!
Hi Liz,
I am making this for Thanksgiving, and was just wondering, your recipe does not say frozen spinach, but you say to get all the moisture out.
Should I use fresh spinach or frozen?
Thanks!
Stacey
Note: I omitted adding the flour and cooking it for 2 minutes, after onions has softened in step #4. Gosh, what a goof - sorry...
I will definitely make this dish, but maybe not until autumn. I assume you add the flour to the cooked onions for about a extra minute in step four. Otherwise, you don't mention how to use the flour. Thanks!
Thanks for pointing this out -- just fixed it!
Hi Liz....Tracie here (from Whole Foods). I am in Las Vegas until Mothers Day then back to San Diego. Would love to get together for a nosh or a glass of vino. My e-mail address is gzalis@cox.net
You thanking me, that's rich. My friends were wowed by your "meatloaf" at a recent get-together. Now that's a great recipe - but glad the gratin was tasty for your family.
I am going to make this tonight. Can't wait. Love spinach gratins
Let me know how the recipe works for you - I value your feedback. Thanks -
The gratin was absolutely everything I wanted it to be. Really liked the contrast of the crunchy Panko topping with the creamy tender spinach. Really nice. Thanks.
We made this yesterday and it was a grand success. This will certainly find its way onto our regular rotation.
Delighted to hear that you enjoyed it - thank you!
Hi Lizthechef....Saw you in Whole Foods today and I could see that you were passionate about cooking good food. This recipe looks great. You've got my vote!
Welcome to the food52 community! You made my day, Tracie...Strangers who meet in the produce section - wow!
I live in Mission Hills - 295-3535 - stop by, this is an incredible community @food52.
Mission Hills, KS????? If so....have you ever been to the Kansas City Country Club? Their creamed spinach is legendary....I have been trying to get the recipe for it since I was a toddler. (I have even, only slightly joking, offered to trade sex for it) Unfortunately all my ties to the KCCC are now gone and I have been mourning the loss of the spinach. THIS recipe of yours promises to take its place and be just as memorable, if not more so. Will be making it just as soon as I can get my paws on some proper spinach. Bless you for making this old gray mare feel like a filly again!!
this is a great recipe! I agree, sometimes frozen organic spinach is definitely the way to go. This will be great to go along with our Easter buffet!
Get the best frozen stuff you can find, avoiding the tinny-tasting stuff. My bad photo has disappeared but I finally settled on the stuff at WF...
This sounds wonderful! I agree, frozen spinach (aka the incredible shrinking vegetable) is the way to go.
This looks so delicious and so comforting. I know I'd arm wrestle both you and LastNightsDinnr for the last spoonful. Congratulations on your recipe being selected!
This is exactly what I'm looking for.
Now I know I'm dreaming - I have a recipe YOU are looking for?! Thank you -
Your photo is still there -- just click on the number 3 beneath the photo above!
My good friend, Alyssa, made a very similar butternut squash gratin with Gruyere that was to-die-for! This sounds great with Spinach!
Congratulations--i love this. (you might even convince me to like nutmeg with spinach...)
An interesting comment, as I obsessed over the amount to add. I think I used a pretty light touch...
A beautiful medley of flavours, Liz. Gruyere is my fave for gratins. Congrats on being short-listed- congrats to us (am i allowed to say that tee hee) and all of the 'editor's picks'!
Happy day, yes?
Yum - my favorite kind of comfort food: spinach, gruyere, creaminess and crunch. Congratulations!
Another wonderful recipe to try! I really like that you used whole milk, instead of cream or half & half.
What a wonderful alternative to classic potatoes. Congrats Liz!
Spinach, egg, milk, gruyere...classic combo I make it all the time using Ann Wilan's recipe. Chez Suzanne entered one too which I made...gorgeous with the cherry tomatoes on top. Congratulations on your version!
This looks wonderful - perfect comfort food! Congrats on being chosen as a finalist!
Thank you - frankly, I'm stunned...
I love dishes like this - to be honest, I could probably polish off the entire thing myself!
It really made a difference when I cut down on the, frankly, fat. Come on over - we can fight over it...
Mmmmm, yum. Sign me up to try this one! I actually like that you use frozen spinach. Although I live in Produce Paradise (Northern California), I've spent a fair bit of time in other places during the winter, mostly for family snowboarding vacations, where the only spinach to be had was tired looking, to put it mildly. Even the stuff in the bags with the gas preservative in them can look sad rather quickly. I love classic recipes that have been improved. Stay tuned . . . . .;o)
Please do let me know. You do, indeed, live in produce paradise!
Carol is a gluten-free chef and food blogger currently cooking her way through the Alinea Cookbook.
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Squeezing the water out of thawed frozen spinach can be a real workout.
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Amanda took over halfway through -- she does it with such ease!
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Loving Amanda's "do" today. Very cheery.
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Kristen regales us with the latest internet news as we're up to our elbows in spinach.
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Onions and butter. IS there a better way to start a recipe? If so, we have yet to find it.
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Lizthechef has you add 1/4 cup of flour -- just enough to thicken the sauce without making it gluey.
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In goes the hot milk, while Merrill whisks away.
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A little freshly ground nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne go a long way.
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Gruyere and pepper join the party, and now the sauce becomes truly luscious.
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In goes all that beautifully squeezed spinach. (Thank you, Amanda!)
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Panko toasted in butter browns quickly -- watch it like a hawk.
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It will brown more in the oven, so don't take the panko too far.
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Great dish, a real keeper. I used regular, grocery store-brand non-organic frozen spinach - otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Made it in the am, and about an hour before serving I made the topping, but didn't put the topping on the gratin dish until it was time for the oven. I also halved the recipe successfully. Thanks!