blue cheese creamed spinach;
A surefire way to get me to eat my vegetables? Add cheese! I love when I find a recipe that makes vegetables irresistible—and this blue cheese creamed spinach is just that. Irresistible. Simple and healthful sautéed spinach with a tangy and sharp blue cheese sauce makes a perfect complement to any meal. Though I will say, it goes great with steak, especially when you’re going for a black and blue steak.
For blue cheese creamed spinach, first you’ll need some spinach. While fresh spinach will work great in this recipe, it always depresses me how much fresh spinach reduces down. So to get a convenient mass quantity I usually opt for frozen spinach. It’s easy and convenient. And if you happen to have some dregs of your fresh spinach lying around, add them in!
Use a good quality olive oil for sautéeing the spinach.
secret to success
You know, when that leafy spinach is *just* past it’s prime so you don’t really want to eat it raw anymore but it seems a waste to throw out? Perfect, toss it in with your frozen spinach and sauté it up. Use a good quality olive oil for sautéeing the spinach. You want that buttery, rich flavor meld with the delicious blue cheese sauce and shine through in the final dish. Top with the blue cheese sauce and you’ll never even know.
Sometimes all you need is a home cooked, simple meal. My go to for those occasions is steaks, sautéed blue cheese creamed and I just double the sauce to spread over the steak. So simple you cannot mess them up and yet the meal is packed full of flavor and nutrients. Season thin steaks with pepper and salt. Grill them up in a seasoned cast iron pan, and make your blue cheese sauce. Sauté up your spinach and voila, a simple and mouthwatering meal.
Simple is delicious. You don’t need anything fancy for sautéing spinach. Just the leafy green, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Trust me, you’ll get plenty of flavor from that tangy, creamy sauce.
secret to success
This blue cheese creamed spinach uses blue cheese for obvious reasons. It has a sharp and prominent tang. For a slightly sweeter and milder taste, opt for Gorgonzola instead of the blue cheese. For those that don’t like moldy cheeses or have an aversion to blue cheese, gorgonzola would be a great alternative.
Traditionally, my recipe for blue cheese creamed spinach uses heavy cream. It’s thick and luxurious, but if you’re looking for a dairy free version, I’ve subbed in oat milk, and honestly, I’m in love. You won’t even miss the cream. You give up a little bit of the silkiness cream brings, but you gain an extra subtle earthy note to your base.
For a dairy-free option, swap out the heavy cream for oat milk! You lose a tiny bit in creaminess, but gain a subtle earthy note.
secret to success.
For a dairy free option, swap out the cream in this recipe for blue cheese creamed spinach–for oat milk! What you lose a tiny bit in creaminess, you gain in a subtle earthy note. You may need to cook it a bit longer though since generally oat milk is thinner than cream.
Oh, and a tip from me to you—go heavy on the Worcestershire sauce in this blue cheese creamed spinach. Even if I can’t pronounce it out loud, it adds a punch of flavor like no other to an already punchy sauce. It does add a bit of brown to the color, so it won’t be a nice sharp white, but it makes up for it in flavor, I promise. It helps add an earthy, umami note that really complements and brings out the tang of the blue cheese.
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Check out these other recipes!
- brown sugar bacon wrapped water chestnuts is the perfect appetizer, with a sweet and umami sauce doused over delicious bacon and crunchy waterchestnuts.
- If you’re looking for another way to get your greens, try this sweet and satisfying raspberry california salad with candied pecans, lettuce, tomatoes, and a sweet dressing.
- Looking for carbs? Go with cacio e pepe for a rich and creamy pasta dish with a pop of peppery spice, perfect to add decadence to any weeknight!
blue cheese creamed spinach;
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream (can use 2% milk for a lighter option)
- ⅓ lb blue cheese (I prefer aged, but swap gorgonzola for a milder, sweeter option)
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed
Instructions
- Add cream to a small saucepan, and heat over medium low until bubbles begin to form
- Crumble ⅔ of the blue cheese (if in block form) and add to the cream. Using the flat of a spoon or spatula, stir the mixture, smashing the blue cheese crumbles into the mixture.
- Once cheese has completely melted, turn off the heat. Add the 1 tsp worcestershire sauce and ½ tsp pepper and stir to mix evenly.
- Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add in the spinach, breaking it apart as needed. Sautee until warm and heated through, making sure no ice remains, and most of the water has boiled off.
- Turn off the heat on the skillet, and pour over the blue cheese sauce, stirring until evenly incorporated. (Optional) Reserve some sauce in a small bowl to pour over top when ready to serve.
- Transfer to serving dish. Pour over reserved sauce, if using. Crumble the remaining blue cheese on top. Gently stir the mixture to allow for chunks of blue cheese to remain as desired.
