Rich Spinach with Béchamel

Name: Rich Spinach with Béchamel
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil 2 spoonfuls; Onions ½; Grana Padano PDO cheese 1.75 oz; Spinach 15 cups; Fine salt to taste; Whole milk 2 cups; Type 00 flour 0.4 cup; Butter 3 ½ tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Nutmeg to grate to taste

it es fr de br

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Serving: 6
Cost: Very low

PRESENTATION

Soft, creamy texture and mild, inviting flavor make easy creamed spinach with béchamel sauce a go-to spinach side dish for all kinds of family meals—think rich, velvety, and absolutely DELICIOUS. Weeknight dinners get a huge upgrade, since this steakhouse side works equally well next to roasted chicken, juicy steak, or your favorite grilled fish, giving pretty much any dinner that restaurant feel families love. There’s something about those soft, cheesy notes and the warmth of nutmeg in classic homemade sauce that turns any gathering (even just a plain Tuesday) into a little celebration. The way this dish looks—pale green, creamy, and nice—means it fits right in at holiday spreads or Sunday suppers, always drawing hands for just one more scoop. Picky eaters and veggie fans both enjoy those cheesy, rich spinach layers, since the flavors are gentle and the texture’s so good. You’ll notice everybody asking for it again, especially because it goes so well with almost everything—the true crowd-pleaser side.

Home cooks keep it on repeat for its unbeatable comfort and flexible serving (yep, works for brunch, potlucks, or whenever people are hungry for something warm and creamy). If you want your own special touch, try a sprinkle of crunchy breadcrumbs or extra cheese on top—kids especially like that. This quick spinach recipe fits wacky family schedules, still delivering homemade goodness even when you’re short on time. Since easy creamed spinach builds off familiar flavors and feels so nice and satisfying next to the main course, it pretty much ticks every family box—comfort, looks, taste, and universal appeal. Frequent dinnertime requests and effortless holiday pairing make this good, cheesy homemade sauce side really reliable, while its mild heat from nutmeg keeps the taste slightly elevated. At the table, there’s always a bit of excitement (and maybe second helpings) because this dish holds up beautifully, never overshadows, always complements...that’s probably why happy families hang onto this one for years.

INGREDIENTS

Extra virgin olive oil 2 spoonfuls

Onions ½

Grana Padano PDO cheese 1.75 oz (50 g)

Spinach 15 cups (1.5 kg)

Fine salt to taste

for the béchamel: Whole milk 2 cups (500 ml); Type 00 flour 0.4 cup (50 g); Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Fine salt to taste; Nutmeg to taste - to grate

Preparation

How to prepare Rich Spinach with Béchamel

To prepare rich spinach with béchamel, start by cleaning and washing the spinach 1 (or get fresh spinach already washed, bagged, and ready to cook). After washing the spinach, boil them over medium heat (for about 5-6 minutes) with the water that the spinach retained during washing, covering the pot with a lid 2. Once cooked, squeeze them well to remove excess water 3.

Roughly chop the spinach 4. Sauté the chopped onion over very low heat with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 5, and as soon as the onion becomes transparent (it will take at least 10 minutes), add the spinach and sauté them for a few seconds over low heat 6.

Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel (for more details, see the Béchamel sauce recipe). Start by heating the milk (without boiling it) 7 and add a pinch of salt and nutmeg 8. In another pot, melt the butter 9

and add the sifted flour, cooking it all for a few minutes, stirring continuously and preventing it from sticking 10. You will then have obtained what the French call roux. At this point, remove the pot from the heat and add the hot milk to the roux, stirring everything with a wooden spoon 11. Then put the pot back on the heat, cooking on low flame until the sauce begins to boil. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the béchamel, always on low heat, for 15 minutes, the time necessary to thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally 12. After this, your béchamel is ready,

add the grated Grana Padano cheese, give a final stir, and remove the mixture from the heat 13. Add the béchamel to the spinach, mix everything well, and adjust the salt 14. Your rich spinach with béchamel is ready, serve it hot 15.

Storage

Store the rich spinach with béchamel in the refrigerator for a maximum of a couple of days, tightly sealed.
Rich spinach with béchamel can be frozen. Once thawed, just sauté them in a pan for a minute to revive them.

Tip

To prepare rich spinach with béchamel, we recommend cooking the spinach with a brief steam cooking, or as we suggest in this recipe, using the water from the last wash. This will prevent the virtues of these vegetables, which are usually boiled in water, from being lost. To further enrich this side dish, you can sprinkle it with grated Grana Padano or add cubes of mozzarella at the end of the preparation.

Curiosity

It is said that Catherine de' Medici, when she married Henry of Valois and left Florence, brought with her to the French court all her cooks, including someone specialized in spinach preparation, her favorite vegetable; since then, French dishes served on a bed of spinach are called "a la florentine".

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.