Creamed Spinach

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 5 (6 ounce) bags baby spinach leaves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup warm milk, plus more for thinning
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)

Recipe

• 1 rinse spinach leaves.
• 2 place half of the leaves in a 3 quart saucepan.
• 3 cover; cook over medium-high heat until wilted, about 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally.
• 4 add remaining spinach leaves to pot as the first batch"shrinks".
• 5 cook spinach until it is all wilted, about another 5 minutes.
• 6 drain spinach; let cool.
• 7 when cool, squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then chop fine.
• 8 return to sauce pan.
• 9 in small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• 10 whisk in flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• 11 whisk in warm milk.
• 12 bring mixture to simmering; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.
• 13 stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.
• 14 remove from heat; whisk in cream cheese until smooth.
• 15 scrape cheese sauce into saucepan with spinach.
• 16 stir over medium-low heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.
• 17 for a more liquid consistency, if desired, thin with another 2 tbs milk.