Creamed Spinach with Artichoke is a Creole-inspired dish that brings together tender spinach and earthy artichoke hearts in a velvety sauce made with heavy cream, butter, and sharp Romano cheese. A simple herb and spice blend adds aromatic depth, enhancing the rich, cohesive texture of the cream sauce. Effortless yet impressive, this versatile side pairs beautifully with everything from casual weeknight meals to elegant dinners—delivering a comforting taste of South Louisiana with every bite.
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What You'll Love About This Recipe
The impressive flavor of this dish belies the simplicity of its ingredients and technique:
- Minimal Prep Work: Prepare frozen spinach according to directions, chop shallots, garlic, and artichoke hearts, then measure a few other ingredients. Simple, no-angst.
- Flexible Technique: Making delicious Creamed Spinach with Artichoke does not require strict adherence to complicated techniques. The time and technique are very forgiving, a breeze for an experienced cook, but quite doable for the novice.
- Big Flavor Payoff: You'll know how little work this recipe is, but the immense flavor will make it seem much more difficult.
- Pantry Friendly: There are no exotic ingredients or special equipment needed to make this an outstanding dish. The two main ingredients, spinach and artichoke hearts, are frozen and canned, respectively. You probably have the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry; if not, your grocer will have them.
- Leftovers May Be The Best Thing Yet: It's so easy to repurpose the leftovers. Stuffed mushrooms, Spinach Dip? Yep, check out the Interesting Uses For Leftovers Section below!
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Here's What You Need
These are the key ingredients used in this recipe. A complete list, with quantities, is included in the printable recipe card at the end of this article.
Ingredient Notes
- Spinach: I make this recipe with frozen spinach, although you can use fresh or canned (See Substitutions below).
- Artichoke Hearts: Use canned or bottled artichoke hearts packed in brine (not oil). Use whole, halves, or quarters.
- Romano Cheese: The cheese should be finely grated.
- Creole Seasoning: I developed this recipe using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, a no-salt, no-MSG all-purpose Cajun and Creole seasoning. If you use a seasoning containing salt, don't add more salt until you taste test the dish. If your seasoning is spicy, don't add the cayenne until you taste test.
- Other Sources of Salt: The butter, Romano Cheese, and canned Artichoke Hearts may contain salt. Check the label if salt is an issue.
Substitutions
Substituting ingredients is sometimes desirable or necessary, but keep in mind that any substitution may impact the flavor profile, cooking time, or nutrition.
- Frozen Spinach: Substitute canned spinach or 2 pounds of fresh spinach for the frozen. Drain all spinach thoroughly. See the Mise en Place section below on preparing fresh spinach.
- Shallots: Substitute yellow or white onions.
- Garlic: Substitute ¾ teaspoon of granulated garlic or ⅜ teaspoon of garlic powder for fresh garlic. You can also use jarred garlic.
- Romano Cheese: Suitable substitutes include Parmesan and Asiago cheese. They can replace the Romano 1:1.
- Heavy Cream: Evaporated Milk and Half & Half are suitable substitutes. There are non-dairy substitutes like coconut milk.
- Butter: Substitute equal parts of vegan butter, ghee, or olive oil.
Cookware
I make this entire recipe in a 12" sauté pan or skillet. Use your usual prep equipment for your Mise en Place, and you'll be cooking in no time.
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
If all you have are marinated artichoke hearts, simply rinse them through a strainer.
Yes. Read the Leftover Tips section below for how to handle and store leftover or premade Creamed Spinach with Artichoke.
When you cook the frozen spinach according to the package directions, or wash fresh spinach, you must drain off the water and squeeze or press the excess water out of the spinach. Likewise, with the artichoke hearts, make sure to drain all the brine or water. If not, the excess water will dilute the flavor and make your dish watery.
Here's What You Do
First...you have a beer. Preparation is the key to no-angst cooking. Grab a beer and read the recipe from top to bottom, noting the ingredients and how they need to be prepared. Then, perform your mise en place. With most of the work done, you’re ready to seamlessly assemble this dish, making cooking a joy!
Mise En Place
No-angst cooking starts with Mise En Place! Prep and measure all your ingredients before you start. This way, most of the work is done, and you can easily focus on cooking!
- Place each prepared ingredient in a separate prep bowl.
- Prepare the frozen spinach as directed on the package; drain any liquid from cooking.
- Finely chop the garlic and shallots.
- Drain and rough chop the artichoke hearts.
- Measure the remaining ingredients.
For Fresh Spinach: Trim the stem off the spinach leaf (optional). Rinse the fresh spinach and drain thoroughly, or run the washed spinach through a salad spinner. Make sure not to add excessive water to the sauce.
Make the Cream Sauce
What happens in this step? Starting with a foundational base of flavor, we will build a rich, creamy sauce to embrace the spinach and artichoke.
Lagniasppe Tip: When making a roux in this manner, it takes about 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. We want the roux for thickening, not color.
Lagniappe Tip: After simmering for about 3 minutes, the sauce thickens slightly. It's thick enough as soon as it coats a spoon without immediately running off.
Add the Spinach to the Sauce
What happens in this step? Now we bring the dish together by mixing the spinach with the cream sauce and seasoning with Romano.
Lagniappe Tip: If using fresh spinach, add it uncooked in batches to the sauce. As the spinach cooks down, add more until it has all been incorporated into the sauce. Add the Romano cheese and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
Optional Preparation
Creamed Spinach with Artichoke can be served as a casserole.
After Step 9 above, place the creamed spinach in a prepared casserole dish, add a light sprinkle of Romano Cheese and seasoned bread crumbs; bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned on top.
Serving Suggestions
Creamed Spinach with Artichoke is a rich, indulgent side dish that elevates any meal with its creamy texture and bold, savory flavors. It’s sophisticated enough to impress guests, making it an ideal complement to grilled meats, seafood, or roasted poultry. Its versatility allows it to pair well with both casual and elegant main courses, bringing a touch of Creole flair and comfort to the table.
Try Creamed Spinach with Artichoke alongside these main dishes:
Is this recipe stirring your Inner-Popeye? Here's more Spianch!
Leftover Tips
If you have Creamed Spinach with Artichoke leftovers, follow these simple steps for proper and safe storage. Use these steps to make this recipe in advance.
- Allow the leftovers to cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Leftovers will maintain their quality in the fridge for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Package in small containers so you won't have to defrost more than you want to eat.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven in a baking dish until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
- You can also reheat slowly on the stovetop ot microwave.
Interesting Uses For Leftovers
Be creative with your leftovers. If the creamed spinach is too thick for your intended purpose, add milk, cream, or broth to thin it out:
- Spianch-Artichoke Dip: Add softened cream cheese (4 ounces per cup of spinach) and a dollop of sour cream to the leftover Creamed Spinach. Heat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips.
- Use the leftover creamed spinach to stuff mushrooms. Top with breadcrumbs and Romano cheese and bake about 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
- Use leftovers as a filling for an omelet.
- Leftover creamed spinach would make a great stuffing for chicken breasts or pork chops.
- It can also be used layered in lasagna.
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Yeah You Right!
Revision Notice: This article and recipe were originally published in August 2017. I am revising and republishing the article now for better clarity and information to help the cook. The recipe is unchanged.
Recipe
Creamed Spinach with Artichoke
Here's What You Need
- 20 ounces Frozen Spinach See Notes
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Shallots chopped
- 8 ounces Artichoke Hearts rough chop
- 1 tablespoon garlic rough chop
- 2 tablespoons AP Flour
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Romano Cheese grated
Herb and Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoons creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Here's What You Do
- Prepare the frozen spinach as directed on the package. Place the prepared spinach in a strainer and push out the liquid. See Notes about fresh spinach
- Chop the shallots and artichoke hearts; chop the garlic. Measure remaining ingredients.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When butter foams, add the shallots and sauté until starting to clear, about 2 minutes.
- Add the artichoke hearts and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the Creole seasoning, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using. Stir to mix thoroughly.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add the AP flour and stir well to combine with the vegetable mixture. Saute for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream. Stir well while the cream begins to simmer. Lower the heat and maintain a simmer; continue stirring and shaking the pan until starting to thicken. This should take about 3 minutes.
- Add the spinach and blend.. Stir in the Romano cheese.
- Taste for salt and pepper and add if needed; continue to simmer until thickened to a creamy consistence.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Robin
I searched everywhere for a copycat of Dollywood's creamed spinach and artichokes. Most were just artichoke dips, but this is just like Dollywood's but better. Thank you so much for posting this I was ready to give up ever having it again. Not a ton of amazing southern food is vegetarian.
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Robin! I appreciate you giving my recipe a try. I've never had the Dollywood version, but I love Dolly. I got the idea from Houston's Restaurant, I think irs a natural pairing. Thanks, again.
john
looking for a Madeline and came across your site. the addition of artichoke is awesome.
ran out before we finished the ribeyes and potatoes.
Sweet Daddy D
Hey John, I think this is the perfect side dish for a nice, juicy ribeye. I also have a Spinach Madeline recipe on the site. Thanks for giving it a try!