Southern Mom Loves: The Perfect Pizza Side: Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach

The Perfect Pizza Side: Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach

Thursday, December 15, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone #FreschettaFresh #CollectiveBias

Pizza night has become a tradition in our family. The kids love having it and I love having an easy meal to prepare. It's a win-win! One thing I like to do on our pizza nights is to serve it with an easy side vegetable. One of my favorites to make (and theirs to eat) is a Parmesan-crusted creamed spinach. Spinach is loaded with good-for-you nutrients and making it in a parmesan cream sauce is a way that everyone will love, even the picky eaters. Serve it along with your pizza for a filling, easy meal.


I'm making this creamed spinach from fresh baby spinach, but you can sub in frozen spinach to make it even easier and I'll give you the directions for that too.


I'm serving it with a delish Freschetta Naturally Rising Canadian Bacon and Pineapple frozen pizza. 


You can find Freschetta in the Frozen Foods aisle at Walmart. They're right in the section with all the Pizzas. Grab this Ibotta coupon before you go and save some dough! <---see what I did there? Punny.


The ingredients are what set this pizza apart from other frozen pizzas. The crust is a blend of 3 grains that are kneaded and rolled for dough that rises naturally and they use 100% real provolone and mozzarella cheeses for an undeniably better choice. It’s freshness you can taste.


And making these two together is like kismet! Just prep all of your ingredients, pop the pizza in the oven, and start your creamed spinach on the stovetop. By the time the pizza comes out, you're all ready to pop your parmesan-covered spinach dish in the oven under the broiler. It all comes together perfectly.


Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach

Source: Holly of Southern Mom Loves
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 18 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:



  • 2-16 oz. bags of baby spinach, washed (or 32 oz. frozen, thawed)
  • 
6 Tbsp. butter
  • 
1 yellow onion, diced
  • 
3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups half & half

  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + 1/4 c. for sprinkling

  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper

Directions:

1. If using fresh spinach: Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water for one minute, drain, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out all of the excess water. Chop the spinach roughly.

If using frozen chopped spinach: Thaw, drain, and squeeze out all of the excess water.


2. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent (about 3-5 minutes.)


3. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.


4. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking it into the butter and onion mixture. Continue stirring and cooking the flour for an additional few minutes, or until it doesn't smell like raw flour anymore. The flour will become a light, golden color.


5. Slowly whisk in the half & half
 and cook for another few minutes until thickened and remove from heat.


6. Stir in the parmesan and allow to melt in the hot sauce. Add in the spinach, salt, and pepper and stir thoroughly.



7. Transfer the creamed spinach into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with the extra parmesan cheese and broil for approx. 3 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on top.





creamed, spinach, parmesan,
Side Dishes,
American
Yield: 8
Author:

Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach

Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach

Spinach is loaded with good-for-you nutrients and making it in a parmesan cream sauce is a way that everyone will love, even the picky eaters. Serve it along with your pizza for a filling, easy meal.

ingredients:

  • 2 (16 oz.) bags of baby spinach, washed (or 32 oz. frozen, thawed)
  • 6 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups half & half
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper

instructions:

How to cook Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach

  1. If using fresh spinach: Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water for one minute, drain, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out all of the excess water. Chop the spinach roughly. If using frozen chopped spinach: Thaw, drain, and squeeze out all of the excess water.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent (about 3-5 minutes.)
  3. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  4. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking it into the butter and onion mixture. Continue stirring and cooking the flour for an additional few minutes, or until it doesn't smell like raw flour anymore. The flour will become a light, golden color.
  5. Slowly whisk in the half & half and cook for another few minutes until thickened and remove from heat.
  6. Stir in the parmesan and allow to melt in the hot sauce. Add in the spinach, salt, and pepper and stir thoroughly.
  7. Transfer the creamed spinach into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with the extra parmesan cheese and broil for approx. 3 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on top.
Calories
138.97
Fat (grams)
11.35
Sat. Fat (grams)
6.93
Carbs (grams)
6.23
Fiber (grams)
0.50
Net carbs
5.74
Sugar (grams)
0.62
Protein (grams)
3.62
Sodium (milligrams)
534.85
Cholesterol (grams)
30.96
This nutritional info is automatically generated from a database and may not represent the actual nutritional information of the ingredients you use.
Created using The Recipes Generator

Voila! You have the perfect side to go with your family pizza night and the kids will love it!


Not only is it fast and easy, but ooey and gooey too.


If you're a fan of spinach, but have never had creamed spinach, you're missing out big time. It is so incredibly flavorful, warm, and creamy and the parmesan crust makes it extra special.


And the simplicity of it will help you get dinner on the table in 20 minutes flat. 


I'm a big believer that better-for-you can also mean delicious. It's all about quality and balance! Give Freschetta's naturally rising crust and real ingredients a try and serve it with a quick and delicious (but still nutritious) side like Parmesan-Crusted Creamed Spinach!


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Do you have a pizza night during the week? Have you ever tried a Freschetta pizza? Will you be making this dish? I love to read your comments!

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