Spinach Casserole

5 from 11 votes

A creamy, cheesy baked spinach casserole with a buttery cracker topping, rich enough for a holiday table and easy enough for a weeknight! Assemble it up to two days ahead and bake it when you need it.

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword creamed spinach casserole, spinach casserole, spinach casserole recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
½ of a 10.5 ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, (about ⅔ cup)
¼ cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs or coarsely crushed Ritz crackers

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 1 ½-quart baking dish; set aside. Cook the spinach in the microwave according to the package instructions. Drain thoroughly by squeezing the spinach tightly in a dish towel to wring out the extra liquid.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the soup, milk, cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, salt, and pepper. Stir just until warmed through and smooth. Do not let it boil. Add the spinach and mix well.
Transfer the spinach mixture to the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until heated through and golden brown on top. Let rest 10 minutes before serving so the sauce sets.

Notes

Squeeze the spinach dry. This is the single most important step. Leftover water thins the sauce as the casserole bakes.
Room temperature dairy. Cold sour cream and milk are the usual cause of a grainy or broken sauce. Warm the mixture gently and never boil it.
Fresh spinach substitution. You would need roughly 3 pounds of fresh spinach, wilted and chopped, to replace the two frozen packages. Frozen is far more practical for this recipe.
Cheese swaps. Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a handful of Parmesan all work in place of the sharp cheddar.
Soup swaps. Cream of celery or cream of chicken can stand in for the cream of mushroom.
Topping options. Buttered panko, crushed Ritz, corn flakes, stuffing mix, or slivered almonds all crisp up nicely. Tossing the crumbs with butter is what browns them.
Make it a main. Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked sausage and thin the sauce with a splash more milk.
Make ahead. Assemble up to 2 days in advance without the topping. Refrigerate, then let sit at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes, add the buttered crumbs, and bake as directed.
Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended, since the sauce separates and the spinach turns watery.
Doubling. Double the recipe in a 9x13 inch dish and add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time.

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