When I was single and just barely making the rent, I’d often find creative ways to make a satisfying meal out of frozen vegetables. One of my favorite comfort meals is still a big, slightly spicy bowl of creamed spinach. Here’s how I make it.
Recipe: Really Easy Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach (I prefer whole-leaf, but chopped works too)
- chopped garlic or onions (optional, and perfectly satisfying without)
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 c milk
- Salt
- Tabasco
Instructions
- Defrost the frozen spinach in a pot over medium heat. If you bought the type that’s frozen in a block, it’s especially necessary to heat it for a while, flipping once or twice. But if you have the kind in a bag, it should be really quick.
- Meanwhile, in another pot, melt the butter over medium heat. (If you’re adding chopped onions and/or garlic, you can add them to the melted butter).
- Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk until combined. It’ll be lumpy.
- Still whisking, gradually add the milk. As it heats, it’ll combine to form a smooth, thick paste (a.k.a. a roux).
- Add spinach to the the milk mixture and stir to combine. If it wasn’t totally defrosted yet, just keep stirring and heating for a minute or two.
- Add Tabasco and salt to taste. A grate of nutmeg is also nice.
- Eat it by yourself, out of a bowl, without apologies.