Parmesan Creamed Spinach
Made famous by Ruth's Chris Steak House
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh baby spinach leaves or 16 oz pkg frozen, thawed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot chopped (or 1/3 c. chopped red onion)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg & extra for sprinkling
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cup milk
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Microwave the spinach in a large bowl for 4-5 minutes. Allow to cool, squeeze out the water, and roughly chop. (If using frozen, simply squeeze out the water, and roughly chop.)
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter.
- Add the chopped shallot, bay leaf, salt, and nutmeg. Sauté the shallot over medium heat for about 2 minutes (when the shallot becomes translucent).
- Stir in the flour to create a roux, and cook for about 1 minute until the mixture is uniform with no lumps.
- Slowly add the milk, while stirring to incorporate the roux.
- Cook and stir the milk mixture to a gentle boil and the mixture thickens.
- Remove the bay leaf. Turn off the heat, and stir in 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese. (Reserve 1/4 cup Parmesan for the topping.)
- Stir in the chopped spinach, and mix together until combined well. Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish, and top with the remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of extra nutmeg (optional). Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- You can store this in the refrigerator (covered) for up to a day in advance at this point. Otherwise, you can bake immediately.
- To heat, bring the casserole to room temperature first, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you plan to bake this immediately (instead of refrigerating overnight), then it will be done after 10-15 minutes in the oven.
