Creamy Spinach Bake saw your favorite spinach dip and thought “But what if we did this on a grander scale?” It’s definitely creamy and herbaceous and loaded with rich garlic flavor, all of which accents the tender, garden-fresh spinach. There are succulent and savory bacon crumbles mixed in, with smoky Gruyère and even a little lemon flavor to keep things zesty! In fact, there are so many dimensions to Creamy Spinach Bake’s flavor, you’ll wonder why it’s just a side dish… it tastes like it should be the main course!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cream
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 5 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 1/2 pounds fresh spinach leaves
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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Directions

Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 –In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the milk, the cream, the cloves, the bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, while stirring, until it comes to a boil.

Step 3 –Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the milk mixture for 10 minutes.

Step 4 –Transfer the saucepan from the heat and strain the milk mixture into a clean saucepan, discarding the cloves and the bay leaf.

Step 5 –Cover the saucepan to keep the milk mixture warm and set it aside.

Step 6 –In a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until browned and crisp, about 5-7 minutes.

Also Read:  Creamy Collard Casserole

Step 7 –Reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat in a small bowl and drain and discard the remainder.

Step 8 –In the same skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon drippings.

Step 9 –Add 1/3 of the spinach to the hot bacon drippings and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.

Step 10 –Transfer the wilted spinach to a bowl and season it with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

Step 11 –Repeat the wilting process in two batches with the remaining bacon fat, the remaining spinach, and the remaining salt.

Step 12 –Squeeze the liquid out of the spinach and finely chop it.

Step 13 –In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

Step 14 –Add the onions and the garlic to the melted butter and cook until very softened, about 10 minutes.

Step 15 –Add the flour to the onion-garlic mixture and cook, while stirring, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.

Step 16 –Add the hot milk mixture to the flour mixture and bring it to a boil.

Step 17 –Add the cheese, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, the pepper, and the bacon to the cream sauce mixture and whisk until smooth.

Step 18 –Pour the cream sauce over the spinach and stir to combine.

Step 19 –Transfer the mixture to an 11-inch round baking dish.

Step 20 –Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

Step 21 –Serve immediately.

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Samantha Nicole

Here at the EHL, it's all about delicious, easy recipes for casual entertaining. So come and join me at the beach, relax and enjoy the food.

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