Creamy Spinach Gratin (A Perfect Holiday Side!)

Are you searching for the ultimate, show-stopping side dish for your holiday table? A classic so impossibly creamy, so cheesy, and so packed with a sophisticated, savory flavor, it will have the whole family raving? This incredible, from-scratch Creamy Spinach Gratin is that perfect recipe. We’re talking tender, chopped spinach, enveloped in a luscious, velvety cream sauce made with sweet onions and a hint of nutmeg, all baked under a magnificent, golden-brown blanket of Gruyère and Parmesan cheese.

This isn’t just another creamed spinach recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a truly restaurant-quality masterpiece that is secretly simple to make. We’ll show you the crucial professional secrets to the most velvety, non-watery result that will make this the undisputed star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. This is pure comfort and elegance in a bowl.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Creamy & Elegant Holiday Side Dish

What makes this Spinach Gratin so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, deep flavor and its wonderfully simple preparation. This recipe is a masterpiece of rustic elegance. The star of the show is the from-scratch infused cream sauce. A simple but brilliant technique of slowly sautéing sweet yellow onions until translucent creates a deep flavor base. This is then transformed into a classic Béchamel sauce, enriched with nutty Gruyère and salty Parmesan. This beautiful, savory cream is then baked with tender spinach until impossibly bubbly and golden-brown.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	1 hour 15 minutes
Active Prep Time	25 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	8-10

The Cheesy Dream Team: The Essential Ingredients

This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.

• The Spinach (The Shortcut Superstar!):
  • Frozen Chopped Spinach: A fantastic and convenient shortcut that makes this dish a breeze!
• The Cream Sauce (The Secret to Luxury!):
  • The Roux & Dairy: A classic foundation of unsalted butter and all-purpose flour (a roux) thickens a rich and luscious combination of heavy cream and whole milk.¹
  • The Aromatics: Slowly sautéing yellow onions until sweet and translucent is the secret to a deep, savory flavor base that is never harsh. A hint of freshly grated nutmeg adds a classic, warm, and aromatic depth.
• The Cheeses (The Flavor Powerhouses!):
  • Gruyère & Parmesan: The secret to a truly complex flavor is using a blend of cheeses. Nutty, earthy Gruyère provides that classic, Alpine flavor and an incredible, gooey melt.² Salty, sharp Parmesan adds a wonderful depth and helps to create a beautiful, savory crust.

The Gratin Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Bake

This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.

1. Squeeze, Squeeze, SQUEEZE That Spinach!: This is the single most important, non-negotiable step in the entire recipe. Frozen spinach releases a huge amount of water when it thaws. You must use your hands (or a clean kitchen towel) to squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as you possibly can. This is the crucial, foolproof key that will prevent your beautiful, rich cream sauce from breaking and becoming a sad, watery mess.
2. The Perfect Béchamel: The number one secret to a thick, stable, and creamy sauce is a simple roux. By cooking the flour in the melted butter for a few minutes before you add your liquids, you are cooking out the raw, pasty flavor of the flour and creating a perfect thickening agent. The key to a lump-free sauce is to then add your milk and cream gradually, while whisking constantly.

Step-by-Step to the Best Spinach Gratin

This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.

Part 1: The Art of the Flavorful Cream Sauce

Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 425°F (³$218^{\circ}C$).⁴

Step 2: In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, melt your 4 tablespoons of butter over a medium heat. Add your 4 cups of chopped yellow onions and sauté until they are translucent, which will take about 15 minutes.

Step 3: Add your 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Step 4: Slowly pour in your 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of milk, whisking constantly, and cook until the sauce has thickened.

Part 2: The Final Assembly and Perfect Bake

Step 1 (The Most Important Step!): Squeeze as much liquid as possible from your 3 pounds of thawed, frozen chopped spinach. Add the dry spinach to your cream sauce.

Step 2: Add 1/2 cup of your grated Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season the mixture to your taste with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Transfer the spinach mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan and the 1/2 cup of grated Gruyère on top.

Step 4: Bake for about 20 minutes. You will know the gratin is perfectly done when the sauce is hot and bubbly and the cheese on top is a beautiful, deep golden brown. Serve hot.

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What to Serve With Your Spinach Gratin

This beautiful and savory dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any holiday main course or Sunday supper.

• Holiday Roasts: It is an absolute must-have alongside a classic Roasted Turkey, a Glazed Ham, or a beautiful Prime Rib.
• Steakhouse Dinner: It is the quintessential side dish for a perfect, pan-seared steak.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday side dish!

• Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare and fully assemble the entire, unbaked gratin up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready for your dinner, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
• Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to simply place it back in a 350°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until it is warmed through and bubbly.

Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)