Make Lazy Creamed Spinach With Processed Cheese

Steakhouses, with their prime cuts and endless side dishes, have always felt special to me. Choosing your sides and salad dressing can feel just as important as choosing your steak, and cultivating a steakhouse moment at home requires similar decisions. A baked potato is a given, but throwing together this quick, completely improper creamed spinach makes the meal feel finished.

I say “completely improper” because this is the easiest, most lawless, roux-less creamed spinach I’ve ever made. Inspired by the spinach in my freezer and the Laughing Cow wedges I impulse bought about a week ago, it’s a few-ingredient dish that can be tweaked and fiddled with endlessly, and it tastes extremely close to the “real” thing.

You can use frozen or fresh spinach, but the processed cheese is key; it melts with the butter into a thick, creamy sauce, which you can loosen a bit with half & half if you are so inclined. The aforementioned Laughing Cow wedges work well, but the tangier Boursin is even more fun because it comes pre-seasoned with herbs and peppercorns and whatever else is in Boursin. (Dubliner also makes little Laughing Cow-style wedges now, so snag those if you get a chance.) Once the cheese has melted, give it a taste and add garlic powder, fresh pepper, nutmeg, or all three.

To make this dirtbag delight, you will need:

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 shallot or half an onion, diced

  • 2 large pinches of salt, divided into two portions

  • 280 grams of spinach, fresh or frozen (If using fresh, remove any tough stems; if using frozen, press as much water out of it as you can before cooking)

  • 4 Laughing Cow wedges or 1 package of Boursin

  • 1-2 tablespoons half & half (optional)

  • Fresh pepper and whatever other seasonings you desire

  • Grated parmesan

Melt the butter over medium heat and add the shallot or onion once it starts to foam. Season with half the salt, then cook until the allium is soft and translucent. Add the spinach and remaining salt. If using fresh, cook until it’s just wilted; if using frozen, cook while breaking it up with the corner of a wooden spoon until warmed through. Add the cheese, stirring continuously until it melts. If it looks like it is burning at all, remove the pan off the burner and continue to stir. Add half & half as needed to loosen the sauce, then give it a taste, and add any additional seasonings you’d enjoy. Transfer to a serving dish and top with pepper and parmesan.

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