Quick, easy, cheesy, and ultra-decadent—this unbeatable Keto Creamed Spinach recipe delivers.
One of the vegetable side dishes my daughter loved growing up was creamed spinach. We would get it every time we ate out at a particular chain restaurant. It was the perfect side dish to rotisserie chicken or turkey. That chain has sadly closed all its Florida locations, but we can still enjoy our favorite side dish at home with this copycat keto creamed spinach recipe. I’ve even shared it with my daughter so she can make it for her family.
If you love creamed spinach, this is the only recipe you will ever need. Of course, it’s a great way to get your children to eat spinach, thanks to all that cheesy goodness. Remind them that Popeye always eats his spinach to have nice, strong muscles. Luckily, once they taste the first bite, you’ll probably never have to convince them again. That’s how good it truly is.
Another benefit of this recipe is that it only takes 15 minutes to prepare. Everything cooks in one skillet, making cleanup a breeze. It’s also easy to double the recipe to feed a larger crowd. I will tell you my trick for making more servings and cutting the calories: double the spinach, but not the other ingredients. This recipe is still nice and creamy with double the spinach. My other trick, especially when making this for young children, is to chop the spinach before adding it to the skillet. I even like it that way myself. Eliminating the long, stringy stems by chopping them also makes it easier to get into little mouths.
If your spinach does not fit in the pan all at once, that’s not a problem at all. You can add it a little at a time, and as it starts to wilt, add more. Another recommendation is to let your cream cheese come to room temperature to help it melt faster. Using freshly grated Parmesan without fillers will help it melt more efficiently. Some refrigerated grated Parmesan brands do not contain fillers, which is often better than some shelf-stable brands. If needed, thicken your sauce with additional cream cheese or freshly grated Parmesan cheese. However, remember that the sauce will continue thickening as it cools, so don’t make it too thick to start.
How to use creamed spinach in other recipes
Although keto creamed spinach is an ideal side dish, that is not the only way to use it. One of the reasons I like to chop my spinach first is that this recipe makes an excellent hot spinach dip for veggies, chips, and even pork rinds. It is also an ideal sauce for pasta, zucchini noodles, or spooned over cooked chicken breasts, fish, steak, tofu, or pork chops. You can also stuff chicken breasts or mushroom caps with it.
Leftovers are great added to your morning omelet or scrambled eggs. Spoon it over eggs Benedict for added color and flavor. Use the spinach as a filling for quesadillas, enchiladas, or crêpes. You can even blend it with some chicken or vegetable broth and make a creamy spinach soup.
How do I store leftovers?
Allow leftover keto creamed spinach to cool to room temperature, but don’t let it sit out more than 2 hours. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the chilled spinach in a freezer-safe container or zippered bag for up to 2 months. Defrost the frozen spinach overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The best reheating methods are in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, or in a microwave on 30-second intervals, stirring between each cycle.
Serving suggestions
This recipe for keto creamed spinach shows that maintaining a keto diet is not only easy but tasty, especially when you serve it alongside this Keto Burger Recipe. Enjoy it with a meal of Buffalo Chicken, Salisbury Steak, and Instant Pot Pork Chops. Finish your meal with a delicious Keto Cheesecake or a bowl full of this velvety Keto Ice Cream Recipe.
Keto Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces cream cheese cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes until the onion softens.
- Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir until it wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
- Lower the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese. Mix well until the cream cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with kosher salt. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. If needed, add a splash more of heavy cream to thin it out.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
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