Make this delicious Creamed Spinach-Artichoke Casserole when you need a special side dish! This family favorite is perfect for holidays.
Need a spinach side dish that feeds a crowd? This is it, folks.
This Creamed Spinach-Artichoke Casserole has guest starred in many Thanksgiving dinners and is perfect for company or a nice Sunday dinner. Sometimes, I make it on the weekend so we can enjoy leftovers during the week.
It's one of those dishes that's universally enjoyed. Since I first published the recipe in 2014, Cooking with Mamma C visitors have been flocking to this post every holiday season.
With creamed spinach, artichokes, Parmesan and garlic, what's not to love?
Unlike Mom's ricotta-spinach pie, this recipe has no crust. The baked spinach comes together with a Parmesan cream sauce made with egg yolks, while beaten egg whites provide volume — like a spinach soufflé!
Sprinkle some extra parmesan on the top, and you've got yourself a fluffy, slightly creamy spinach-artichoke casserole that will have you coming back for seconds.
Recipe ingredients
Spinach: I always use frozen chopped spinach, then thaw, drain and squeeze it dry for this casserole. You could use fresh spinach and steam it first, or use canned, chopped spinach for convenience. If there’s sodium added, you’d need to rinse and drain it well before squeezing it dry.
Artichokes: I recommend using frozen artichoke hearts for the best flavor and texture. Trader Joe's carries them, and I'm willing to drive 35 minutes to buy them! Birds Eye no longer makes them.
Otherwise, use canned, quartered artichoke hearts but drain and gently rinse them to remove any marinade. We don't want the taste of vinegar in our creamed spinach casserole!
And, if you don't have artichokes, you can just omit them.
Evaporated Milk: We’re using canned evaporated milk, plus some 2% milk, for a thick and creamy sauce without including actual cream. (Evaporated milk is fresh milk that's heated to evaporate about 60% of the water content. It has a thick consistency compared to regular milk.)
Parmesan: For a smoother sauce, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you use canned, the sauce will turn out a bit grainy. Feel free to double the amount of cheese for this Parmesan creamed spinach!
How to make spinach-artichoke casserole
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Beat the egg whites
You'll need to separate the eggs for this recipe. Place the whites in a clean, stainless steel or glass bowl and set aside the yolks in another bowl.
- Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer.
- You'll know the egg whites are ready when you lift the beaters and see stiff peaks that don't fall over.
Make the creamy sauce
- Sauté the onions in melted butter until soft.
- Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir.
- Combine the evaporated milk and 2% milk and pour them into the pot.
- Stir constantly until thickened.
- Scoop out a spoonful of sauce and stir it into the egg yolks. This will temper the eggs so they don't cook when added to the pot of creamy sauce.
- Stir in the egg yolk mixture and the Parmesan.
Assemble the casserole
- Add the spinach, artichokes and cream sauce to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Gently fold in the beaten egg whites until blended.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13 pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Sprinkle the top with extra Parmesan cheese.
- Bake!
Recipe tips
- Be sure to thoroughly drain and squeeze the liquid from your spinach and blot the artichokes dry. Too much moisture can make the casserole soggy.
- The full recipe makes enough for a 9x13 pan, but you can halve the ingredients and bake the spinach-artichoke casserole in an 8x8 pan (affiliate link) for the full 25 minutes.
- You can add shredded rotisserie chicken for a spinach-artichoke chicken casserole.
Frequently asked questions
You have a few options to make this ahead of time.
You can assemble and bake the casserole a couple of days prior to serving. Then reheat it in the microwave or oven.
You can assemble it the day before and refrigerate it without baking. The next day, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time; check for doneness by inserting a knife in the middle and seeing if it comes out clean.
You can start a couple of days ahead of time by thawing and drying the spinach and artichokes, as well as grating the Parmesan. Refrigerate those.
The following day, you can make the cream sauce and assemble the casserole.
Then you can wait another day to bake it, if you choose.
I like the idea of prepping the veggies and cheese at least a day ahead. It means less time in the kitchen all at once!
You should be able to freeze the creamed spinach-artichoke casserole after it's baked and cooled. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, blot any moisture and reheat slices in the microwave or oven.
More spinach recipes to love
- Spinach, Artichoke, and Asiago Dip
- Baked Vegetable Risotto with Asparagus and Spinach
- Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf with Spinach
- Italian Meatloaf with Chicken or Turkey
- 50 BEST Spinach Recipes for Dinner
And if you love artichokes, don't miss these Italian Stuffed Artichokes!
Enjoy!
If you try this Creamed Spinach-Artichoke Casserole recipe, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!
Creamed Spinach-Artichoke Casserole
Ingredients
- 40 ounces frozen chopped spinach (thawed, drained & squeezed dry)
- 24 ounces frozen artichoke hearts (Or 2, 14-oz cans quartered artichoke hearts. See notes.)
- 1 medium onion (Or 2 small onions. Use white or yellow.)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 12 ounces evaporated milk (sold in a can)
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (divided use; can use up to double the amount if desired)
Instructions
- Remove the spinach from the packaging and thaw it in the microwave in two batches. (Place the spinach on a microwave-safe dish or in a glass pan, cover it with wax paper and heat it for three minutes on high for each batch.) Place the spinach in a colander in the sink to drain.
- Thaw the frozen artichoke hearts in the microwave or drain and rinse canned artichoke hearts. Pat the artichokes dry and coarsely chop them.
- While the vegetables are in the microwave, chop the onions and garlic. Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Crack the eggs, separating the whites into a medium bowl and the yolks into a small bowl. (You can place one egg white at a time into a measuring cup and then pour that into the bowl for the whites. If you accidentally get some yolk in the egg white, you'll have to replace the egg white.)
- Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites, starting at low speed and increasing to high, until stiff peaks form and don't fall over when you lift the beaters. (It will look fluffy, like meringue.) You can chill the egg whites until they are needed.
- In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, and after a couple of minutes, add the garlic. Cook until the onions are soft, at least five minutes total.
- While the onions and garlic are cooking, whisk the evaporated and 2% milk together. Leaving the egg yolks in a separate bowl, beat the yolks with a fork. Place the milk mixture and egg yolks near the stove.
- In the saucepan, stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in the milk mixture, and continue stirring, over heat that's just past medium, until the sauce boils and thickens slightly.
- Spoon a small amount of the sauce into the egg yolks and stir to temper the eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the sauce in the pan, stirring quickly to prevent lumps. Stirring constantly, cook until the sauce thickens, but do not let it boil. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in half of the Parmesan (use ¼ cup.)
- Squeeze the spinach dry (I use a clean dish towel that doesn't shed fibers; paper towels also would work.) Add the spinach and artichokes to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and stir to combine. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the beaten egg whites until they are incorporated into the mixture.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to the 9x13 pan and smooth the top evenly. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Video
Notes
- You can assemble and bake it a couple of days prior to serving. Then reheat it in the microwave or oven.
- You can assemble the casserole the day before and refrigerate it without baking. The next day, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time; check for doneness by inserting a knife in the middle and seeing if it comes out clean.
- You can start a couple of days ahead of time by thawing and drying the spinach and artichokes, as well as grating the Parmesan. Refrigerate those. The following day, you can make the cream sauce and assemble the casserole. Then you can wait another day to bake it, if you choose.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Inspired by a Baked Cream Spinach recipe in The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1989 - affiliate link. Originally published on Cooking with Mamma C on November 3, 2014 and updated now with additional photos and information.)
Laurel Heiden-Herrera says
Could this be prepped in advance and then put into the refrigerator to be baked a few hours later? I'm trying to plan out my Thanksgiving day schedule and since its a bit labor intensive it would be great if I could make it first thing in the morning instead of waiting until last minute. Thanks!
Mamma C says
Hi Laurel - Yes. All of those instructions are in the notes section of the recipe card, as well as in the article that goes with the post. Enjoy.
Suzie says
Has anyone made this in individual ramekins? (or in a deep muffin tin or pop-over pan) I was hoping to serve it as a “grab-a-serving” side. Just wondering - any advise. I’m gonna try it - fingers crossed.
Mamma C says
Hi Suzie - I haven't tried that, but it should work. The baking time might be less, so keep an eye on them. I would check after 15 minutes to see if they're done. Please let me know how it goes!
Gail C says
This one's a keeper! The spinach and artichoke souffle is amazing, and everyone wanted seconds! I will definitely make it many more times. The only thing I added was an 8-oz. package of pitted dates to give the souffle a touch of sweetness. I used my food processor to finely chop the dates.
Mamma C says
Hi Gail - I'm so glad to hear that! I love the idea of adding dates for sweetness. We add raisins to this escarole dish for the same effect.
Mary says
I made this last night as the fresh spinach was on sale and I had the frozen birds eye artis. (So good plain with just butter on them!). It was delicious! My family of five loved it. I did change the frozen spinach to 4 - 8 oz fresh bags, steamed, strained and squeezed. I also made evaporated milk with "real milk" thus eliminating the chemical my picky tongue hates in anything canned. I also doubled the Parmesan as we do love our parmy here! So. Good. My new go to veggie dish.
Mamma C says
I love your changes, Mary! How did you make the evaporated milk?
Tracy says
Can this be made a week prior and frozen? I have not tried it yet but it sounds wonderful. Entertaining a large group and would love to get several dishes done ahead.
Mamma C says
Tracy, I've never tried it, but it sounds like it might work, if you bake it, cool it and freeze it. I like the idea of making this ahead of time, since it's somewhat labor intensive.
lenore says
do you think i can make this the day before and reheat or will it get dry?
Mamma C says
Lenore, we reheat this in the microwave, and it doesn't get dry. I've never tried reheating it in the oven though. I'd reheat only the portions you think you'll need.
K / Pure & Complex says
I love a spinach recipe and this casserole came out look beautiful. I have to give this recipe a try. Thank you so much for sharing this. It looks delicious!
Mamma C says
Thanks, K. I hope you enjoy it!