An easy side dish recipe that's perfect for holiday gatherings or simple weeknight meals!
Years and years ago, I shared a spinach casserole recipe on the blog that was handed down to me by my mother-in-law’s friend during a recipe exchange at my bridal shower. Fast forward about 13 years and I’m still enjoying the delicious side dish — with a few of my own updates. This easy Creamed Spinach Casserole is a family favorite that just gets better with time!
I often think of side dishes as a “fall” or “autumn thing,” since they are such a huge component of Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, in the summer, a cool, refreshing salad almost always sounds tastier than a baked, warm vegetable.
Now that we’re in the heart of the season and inching our way ever closer to the holidays, it seems like the ideal time to share this updated recipe. Truth be told, though, the Creamed Spinach Casserole is really a side dish that we enjoy year-round. It pairs just as well with a grilled steak in the middle of the summer as it does with a roasted turkey breast in November!
How to make Creamed Spinach Casserole:
This easy version of cream spinach is actually baked in the oven, rather than cooked in a skillet. It’s a great hands-off option when you don’t want to stand over the stove!
What goes in Creamed Spinach Casserole?
- Frozen, chopped spinach
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Milk
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Butter
- Breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
First, cook spinach in the microwave according to package instructions. Drain the spinach and squeeze it dry in a dish towel to make sure that you get out as much liquid as possible.
Next, make the cream sauce by combining soup, milk, cheese, sour cream, melted butter, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Stir over low heat, just until cheese is melted.
Tip: I recommend grating your own cheese, rather than using a packet of pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store. The hand-grated cheese melts smoother!
Add spinach to the cream sauce, transfer to a casserole dish, and top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes, and serve!
What to serve with baked Creamed Spinach:
This spinach is perfect when paired with any of the following entrées:
- Grilled Steak
- Ribeye Steak
- Salmon Patties, Grilled Salmon or Blackened Salmon
- Crispy Roast Chicken
- 4-Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin or 4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast
- Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Make sure that you squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach. This will prevent the casserole from becoming watery. Wrapping it in a dish towel works perfectly for this step.
- I recommend grating the cheese by hand, rather than purchasing a package of pre-shredded cheese. The hand-grated cheese melts smoother!
- Instead of the cheddar cheese, try using mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even Velveeta! A touch of Parmesan cheese would also be great.
- This creamed spinach casserole can be made in advance. Assemble, cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, allow the casserole to come to room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking according to recipe instructions.
- The baked creamed spinach will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. To reheat, place in a small baking dish and bake at 325 degrees F just until warmed through.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole. The spinach mixture may become watery when thawed.
- I used Panko breadcrumbs here, which get nice and crispy when baked! Any type of breadcrumbs will work, though.
More easy spinach recipes that you might enjoy:
- 5-Ingredient Spinach Dip
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
- Aunt Bee’s Cheesy Spinach Squares
Creamed Spinach Casserole
An easy side dish recipe that's perfect for holiday gatherings or simple weeknight meals!
Ingredients
- 2 packages (9 or 10 ounces each) frozen, chopped spinach
- ½ can condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus additional butter for bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup buttered bread crumbs (note: just add about 2 tablespoons of melted butter to a cup of bread crumbs and stir to combine)
Instructions
-
Cook spinach in microwave according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly by squeezing spinach tightly in a dish towel to wring out all of the extra liquid.
-
In a medium sauce pan over low heat, combine soup, milk, cheese, sour cream, melted butter, salt and pepper. Stir until just warmed through and combined. Add spinach and mix well.
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Pour spinach mixture into a greased 1 ½ -quart baking dish. Top with buttered bread crumbs.
-
Bake casserole at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- Make sure that you squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach. This will prevent the casserole from becoming watery. Wrapping it in a dish towel works perfectly for this step.
- I recommend grating the cheese by hand, rather than purchasing a package of pre-shredded cheese. The hand-grated cheese melts smoother!
- Instead of the cheddar cheese, try using mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even Velveeta! A touch of Parmesan cheese would also be great.
- This creamed spinach casserole can be made in advance. Assemble, cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, allow the casserole to come to room temperature on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking according to recipe instructions.
- The baked creamed spinach will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. To reheat, place in a small baking dish and bake at 325 degrees F just until warmed through.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole. The spinach mixture may become watery when thawed.
- I used Panko breadcrumbs here, which get nice and crispy when baked! Any type of breadcrumbs will work, though.
I often think of side dishes in relation to the holidays, too. It’s the best part of Thanksgiving! I love spinach, especially the creamed kind, but have never made my own before, as I’m picky about it! This sounds wonderful, Blair! I love the breadcrumbs on top!
Hello.
I laughed so hard when you said, ” Heck, even my three-year-old son (who acts like most vegetables might kill him) enjoyed the creamed spinach.” Lol. I too don’t like spinach. Maybe this recipe is my only hope. Thank you for sharing.
True story, Susie! Spencer makes horrified faces whenever he sees an unrecognizable veggie on his plate. 🙂 This dish passed the 3-year-old test, though!
This looks like the perfect side dish! I might have to try it out at our family dinner this weekend!
Thanks, Kristy! I hope that you’ll give it a try! It’s so perfect. 🙂
Have you by any chance tried making this recipe with fresh spinach or do you think it may work? I struggle with the taste of frozen spinach but love fresh. My boys won’t touch the stuff!
Hi, Stacy! No, I haven’t used fresh spinach in this dish. It would work fine, but it just wouldn’t be very practical (for me) because I would need SO MUCH fresh spinach wilted down in order to equal the amount of frozen spinach. The sheer volume of fresh spinach that you would have to chop and steam would be a ton, so I just go with the frozen every time.
I will say, though — even my little boys who claim that they don’t like spinach, will eat this dish! 🙂
There’s nothing like those ‘old recipes’, and this one sounds super delicious! We plan to make this as a ‘side dish’ (for company) this coming weekend. We’ll be grilling Salmon Steaks. We’ll serve it all with a huge tossed Italian salad. Our guests will surely LOVE IT, but I already know that WE WILL.
Yay! I’m so glad that you’re going to make it, Angelina! I know your guests will love it! 🙂
This looks delicious. I usually have a half container of spinach that goes to waste on any given week. Any chance you think I can sub fresh spinach somehow?
Hi, Ellyn! Yes, you can definitely add in some fresh spinach too. I just wouldn’t try to do the whole casserole with only fresh spinach, because you would need such a HUGE volume of the fresh spinach in order to equal the amount of frozen chopped spinach called for in the recipe. If you’re just trying to use up some leftover fresh spinach in your fridge, I would cook it down (by wilting it for a couple of minutes in a skillet) and then just add that to the rest of the recipe ingredients (including the frozen spinach). Again, the fresh spinach will be such a small amount once it’s wilted down that it shouldn’t impact the rest of the recipe too much. Enjoy!
This sounds so good! I was wondering if I grilled some onion and bacon could I add it to the mix(to jazz it up, plus anything with bacon is 10x’s better lol).
Hi, Lavi! Yes, the bacon and onion would be a nice addition. Bacon does make everything better! 🙂
Hi, Blair. This sounds delicious and I’m making it for Christmas dinner. Just wondering, have you ever tried putting this together the day before and then baking it the next day? If so, how did it turn out? Thanks!
Hi, Jennifer! I’m making it for our Christmas dinner too! 🙂
And yes — you can totally prepare it in advance (that’s what I’ll do). Just leave the topping off until you’re ready to bake it.
Can you use fresh spinach instead of can if so how? I have a ton of fresh spinach that I need to use
Hi, Reyva! Yes, I think that you probably can, but I’ve never tried it so I wouldn’t be able to give you an exact amount to sub with. The beauty of frozen chopped spinach is that it condenses the volume of fresh spinach into a small package. If you use fresh spinach, you’ll need a HUGE amount. I did a Google search and found this information, which should be helpful for you in doing the frozen-fresh conversion: https://www.tasteofhome.com/cooking-tips/vegetables/how-much-spinach