Greek Creamed Spinach

A lush and rich recipe for Greek-style Creamed Spinach made with fresh baby spinach, bechamel sauce, shallots, scallions and dill. The bechamel is flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. And then there’s the dill…For that reason, during a brief span of about two seconds, I doubted the recipe. Dill and cinnamon is an unusual combination. But it works…here. It takes an ordinary dish and makes it extraordinary.

This recipe comes from a cookbook by Michael Psilakis. You may know him from Food Network where he is a judge for the special series Recipe Showdown. The title of his cookbook is How to Roast a Lamb and focuses on new Greek classic cooking; modern Greek cooking for the home cook. The book is gorgeous with beautiful, rustic food photography, pictures of Michael, and heart-warming stories about Michael’s life, family and passion for food. I have bookmarked a number of recipes to make: Beef and Rice Meatballs in Egg-Lemon Soup, Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon Potatoes, Dried Fruit Salad with Thyme-Honey Vinaigrette, Whole Chicken Soup with Avgolemeno and Orzo, Pasta with Kima, and Feta Macaronia for Lamb Pastitsio. So many cookbooks, so little time!

This a creamy, delicious classic that your family will love. You can serve it alongside steak like Psilakis does or with anything your little heart desires!

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Greek Creamed Spinach
(adapted from Michael Psilakis How to Roast a Lamb pg. 66)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Shallots, finely chopped
4 scallions, chopped
8 ounces Baby Spinach leaves, rough chopped
Sea or Kosher salt and fresh Black Pepper
1 + 1/2 cup of Bechamel (recipe to follow)
3 tablespoons Dill, rough chopped

1. To a large skillet add the olive oil, over medium heat saute shallots and scallions about 3 or 4 minutes or until softened.

2. Add spinach, cover pan for 1 minute, then toss for a few minutes until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir in bechamel sauce and dill. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Bechamel Sauce
(Makes about 1 quart)

2 + 1/2 ounces unsalted Butter
5 ounces all-purpose Flour
3 + 1/4 cups whole Milk, warm
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
pinch of Nutmeg
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sea or Kosher salt
Fresh Black Pepper

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk for about 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor. Don’t let it brown, remove from heat if needed if pan gets too hot.

2. While whisking slowly add milk a little at a time. Simmer until the mixture starts to thicken, add cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Store extra bechamel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Print Recipe
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I’m sending this to my multi-talented friend Joanne of Eats Well With Others for her Regional Recipes: Greece round-up!

And also to my Side Dish Showdown!

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