Best Creamed Spinach Gratin Food

CREAMED-SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer. Add spinach; cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, pressing out as much liquid as possible with the back of a wooden spoon; coarsely chop.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour in milk, whisking constantly, until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until bubbling and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; add mustard and 1/2 cup cheese. Whisk until smooth.
• In a large bowl, stir together spinach and cheese sauce until spinach is completely coated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and panko; cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a 7-by-11-inch oval gratin dish with butter. Transfer spinach mixture to dish; sprinkle top with toasted panko and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until browned on top and edges are starting to bubble, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CREAMED-SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• If using fresh spinach, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over high heat. Add spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water.
• Thoroughly squeeze cooked fresh or thawed frozen spinach in small handfuls to remove excess moisture, then coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to spinach along with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream and stir to combine.
• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13 by 9 inches; not glass).
• Cut squash to separate bulb section from solid neck section, then cut pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer.
• Layer squash and spinach mixture in baking dish, using about one fifth of squash and one fourth of spinach for each layer, beginning and ending with squash. Sprinkle top layer of squash evenly with cheese and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then cover directly with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Bake until squash is tender and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove paper and bake gratin until browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes, or broil 3 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes.

FANTASTIC CREAMED SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch baking dish.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add in shallots and cayenne pepper; cook stirring for about 5-6 minutes or until softened but not browned (add in the fresh garlic the last few minutes of cooking).
• Hand-squeeze out any excess moisture in the spinach then place in a large bowl.
• Add in the shallot/garlic mixture, cream cheese, whipping cream, milk, shredded cheese, seasoned salt, ground black pepper and nutmeg; mix well using a wooden spoon.
• Transfer to prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.
• At this point you may cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

CREAMED SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Rub the sides and bottom of a buttered 8-inch baking dish with the garlic; discard garlic.
• In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine spinach, cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, Gruyere or Swiss cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and shallots. Transfer to dish.
• Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and lightly golden, about 25 minutes.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• COOK THE SPINACH (if using fresh spinach): Heat a very large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add all the spinach with the water still clinging to its leaves, you may have to firmly pack it. Cover the pan tightly (weight the lid down, if necessary). Leave the spinach to cook for about 2 minutes, then turn it over so that the wilted leaves are on the top. Cover and repeat the process a few times more, until all spinach is nicely wilted. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Drain spinach and reserve the pot that you cooked the spinach inches DO NOT WASH OR WIPE CLEAN.
• If you don't have a salad spinner (OR if using frozen spinach), squeeze the spinach dry with your hands a little at a time, squeezing as much liquid as possible from the leaves. Use paper towels and gently blot the spinach to help it dry. Chop the spinach leaves coarsely and set aside.
• MAKE A ROUX: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, to make a loose paste. Cook for about 1 minute. As soon as it balls up into a paste, exchange the wooden spoon for a wire wisk and in a steady stream, whisk in the warm milk. Stir slowly, until the roux comes to a simmer, about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the cream, salt, and pepper, and stir for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese to melt.
• ONION MIXTURE: In the same skillet where the spinach was cooked, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
• ASSEMBLY: Add the cooked spinach and the cheese sauce to the pan and stir together over medium heat until well mixed and heated through. Taste for seasoning, and transfer to a heated and covered serving dish.