Description
This creamy and flavorful creamed spinach recipe combines fresh spinach with rich cream cheese, fontina, and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Toasted panko bread crumbs with lemon zest add a delightful crunchy topping, making it a perfect restaurant-style side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Spinach Mixture
- 3 lbs fresh spinach, roughly chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces grated fontina cheese (white cheddar also delish)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Toasted Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wilt the Spinach: Heat the olive oil in a very large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spinach in batches, stirring to wilt each batch before adding the next until all spinach is in the pot. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes, until the spinach is soft and cooked down, about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. If the spinach begins to brown, reduce heat to low and continue cooking gently.
- Prepare the Toasted Panko: While the spinach cooks, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko bread crumbs and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir constantly and sauté until breadcrumbs turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and then remove from heat.
- Add the Cream and Cheese: Lower heat under the spinach to low. Add cream cheese in small pieces, stirring until fully melted into the spinach. Then add grated fontina cheese, lemon juice, and heavy cream. Stir for about 1 minute, until the fontina melts and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Serve: Transfer the creamy spinach mixture to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the toasted panko topping evenly over the spinach just before serving for a beautiful contrast of textures and flavors.
Notes
- Imagine your favorite restaurant that serves spinach dip as an appetizer and then imagine it as a side dish… you honestly can’t go wrong!
- Be careful not to overcook the spinach to prevent bitterness and maintain a vibrant green color.
- The toasted panko topping adds a great textural contrast; don’t skip it!
- Fontina cheese can be substituted with white cheddar for a sharper flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 357 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 268 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
