As anyone who dines out knows, Creamed Spinach is a staple accompaniment on any steakhouse menu worth its salt. We love it. (Shout out to Philly’s Butcher & Singer, yet again.) Here, we offer a gluten free “upgrade”, rather than a mere adaptation. This recipe is a bit of a hybrid of a classic creamed spinach recipe from the late, lamented Gourmet Magazine (pouring out a little heavy cream for our fallen homie…), and Julia Child’s Spinach Gratinéed with Cheese from her now iconic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”.
Removing the gluten from the recipe proved a little simpler than normal, thanks to one of our new kitchen superstars: sweet white rice flour. Not only does it create the most perfect, glossy gravies—as seen previously in our Spatchcocked Turkey and Poutine Baked Potatoes—it turns out that it makes a beautiful, rich, silky gluten free béchamel, as well. Like we said, superstar.
While the original recipe called for heavy cream—because, duh, it’s in the name of the dish—we didn’t have any on hand. What can we say? The stuff just disappears. We did, however have 1% milk in the fridge, so into the recipe it went. Before everyone has a stroke about watery “creamed” spinach, rest assured, we would never settle for such blasphemy. Some cream cheese folded into the mix gave the dish a hint of tang and just the right level of richness without making it overly luxe. It was perfection, and with all of that spinach, it’s practically health food, right?
Additionally, we diverged slightly from Gourmet version by replacing the regular onions with shallots, thus giving the dish a more sophisticated and subtler flavor.
Taking inspiration from the Julia Child recipe, some shredded gruyère was incorporated into the mixture prior to baking, with more of the cheese sprinkled on top to brown in the oven. Ms. Julia knows her stuff, so who are we to argue. Besides, after being so conscientious with the milk-for-cream substitution, the extra cheese falls squarely into the “Treat-Yo-Self” category. Can you say “No regrets,” boys and girls?
The end result is indeed a treat. Healthy greens, creamy deliciousness, and a golden, bubbling, cheesy crust. (Insert mic drop here.) Continuing another favored theme, this dish can be made ahead, if necessary. Just assemble the creamed spinach, top with the shredded cheese, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. If you do bake it directly from the fridge, though, be sure to add an extra 5 minutes to the recommended baking time. So there you have it. The best—and tastiest—of all worlds. As Julia would say, Bon Appetit!
Inspired by Gourmet and Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
- 2 pounds spinach, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons sweet white rice flour
- 1 ¼ cup milk (we used the 1% that we had on hand)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- ¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook spinach in 2 batches in 1 inch of boiling water in an 8-quart pot, stirring constantly, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Squeeze small handfuls of spinach to remove as much moisture as possible, then reserve.
- Rinse out pot and place over medium-low heat. Melt the butter, then add the shallots and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Whisk in sweet white rice flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg ¼ cup of the grated Gruyere and cook, stirring, until cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add spinach, stir to combine, then pour mixture into a 1 quart gratin dish. Top with remaining cheese, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to brown.
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