Spinach Gratin: the mouthwatering recipe for a creamy, delicious side dish

No matter what you cook as the main dish for the holidays, you'll need to serve up some tasty sides to make a complete meal. Spinach gratin is a fantastic side dish to serve on Thanksgiving or Christmas, thanks to its mouthwatering cheesy, buttery, savory flavor.

With a creamy texture that's complemented by a crisp topping, spinach gratin is a healthy, hearty side dish that goes with everything.

You only need a few ingredients to make this amazing spinach gratin at home. Homemade spinach gratin is so delicious, even people who aren't usually spinach fans will fall in love with this dish!

Spinach Gratin Ingredients

Milk, butter, and cheese help give spinach gratin its rich, creamy texture.

The parmesan and gruyere also lend a fantastic savoriness to this dish.

Onion and nutmeg add a wonderful hint of flavor, while flour helps the mixture to thicken up.

This recipe uses frozen spinach, but you can just as easily use fresh spinach.

How to Make Spinach Gratin

It's almost too easy to make this mouthwatering spinach gratin. Start by preheating your oven to 425F and squeezing out any excess water from your defrosted spinach.

Cook the onions in a saucepan until they turn translucent and soft. Whisk in the flour and nutmeg and cook for another few minutes, until the raw flour smell disappears. Stir in the milk and cook the mixture for several minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Add in the spinach, followed by ½ cup of parmesan. Pour the spinach mixture into a baking dish and add the remaining parmesan and the gruyere. Bake for 20 minutes, then enjoy!

Spinach Gratin Variations

There are plenty of excellent twists you can put on this recipe. Try a different cheese like mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, or a blend of your favorites.

Alternatively, you can leave the cheese out altogether and enjoy this tasty spinach gratin as a creamed spinach.

Make your spinach gratin gluten-free by using gluten-free flour.

For vegan spinach gratin, use margarine, plant-based milk, and vegan cheese as dairy substitutes.

To make a keto-friendly spinach gratin, leave out the flour and substitute it for a tablespoon or two of arrowroot powder. Arrowroot acts as a thickener, so your gratin will still get rich and thick but without added carbs.

To make a healthier spinach gratin, use skim milk, only use grass-fed butter, and cut the amount of cheese you add to the dish.

What to serve with Spinach Gratin

Serve your spinach gratin with roast turkey, baked lamb, roast duck, oven chicken, glazed ham, and more.

Can You Make Spinach Gratin Ahead?

Of course! You can make your spinach gratin up to two days in advance. Just reheat it in the oven when you're ready to serve it.

How to Store Spinach Gratin

Once cooled, you can wrap your spinach gratin or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425F. Squeeze excess water from spinach. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onions in butter until translucent.

Stir in the salt and nutmeg, and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the flour.

Pour in the milk.

Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Stir the spinach into the sauce. Stir in ½ cup of parmesan. Generously season with salt and pepper.

Pour the spinach mixture into a casserole dish.

Add the remaining parmesan and the gruyere.

Bake for 20 minutes, then serve immediately.

Notes

Use a 9×13-inch casserole dish to make your spinach gratin.