Copycat Ruth's Chris Creamed Spinach Recipe

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse isn't known for light dishes, and the popular chain's creamed spinach is no exception. This side dish is nothing but decadent. Fresh spinach is an ingredient, of course, but most of the weight of the dish is butter and whole milk. While cheese, notably grated Parmesan, is often a key ingredient in creamed spinach, it's actually not used here. This creamy and rich dish is a delicious veggie option at the steakhouse, but you don't have to wait to visit the restaurant to give it a try.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe that allows you to easily duplicate Ruth's Chris's version of creamed spinach at home. While the prep can be finished in a little under half an hour, a little patient attention to a few precise steps will ensure the best result. Removing the stems from the spinach will help you get a silky smooth consistency, and don't skip the ice bath, so the spinach doesn't overcook. Finally, squeeze out as much water as you can from the cooled spinach. This will take a few passes by hand, or you can roll the spinach in a towel and press. Then, you just make an easy roux with butter and flour to thicken the milk, and season the sauce before stirring in the spinach. Bottalico has made additional butter optional, but stir it in before serving for the full Ruth's Chris experience. If you love a little decadence with your vegetables, this recipe is definitely one to try.

For this recipe, you will need fresh spinach. You will also need butter, all-purpose flour, and whole milk. For more flavor, gather a yellow onion, a bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. An optional ingredient is more butter (softened first) to stir into the creamed spinach before serving.

Wash the spinach and remove the stems. Set it aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Place the spinach in the boiling water and cook for 1 minute.

Drain the spinach and submerge it in the ice bath to stop further cooking.

Drain the spinach again and squeeze out as much water as you can.

Place the spinach in a food processor and process until pureed. Set it aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium-low.

When the butter is hot, add the flour and whisk continuously until bubbly and cooked, about 45 seconds.

Add the onion, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour in the milk and whisk continuously for about 5-7 minutes until the mixture is thickened and bubbles start to appear.

Strain out the onions if desired and remove the bay leaf.

Add the spinach in the sauce and stir to mix well. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes on low, stirring frequently.

Before serving, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter if desired. Taste and adjust for salt and black pepper. Serve warm.

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If you want to make this dish even more decadent, use heavy cream or half-and-half instead of milk and stir in grated Parmesan at the end. You can also use cream cheese to thicken the sauce without flour if you're avoiding flour. On the other hand, if you love creamed spinach but are concerned about the calorie and fat content, you can make creamed spinach better for you with a few tweaks. Use skim milk instead of whole milk, and either decrease the butter or swap olive oil or grapeseed oil for some of the butter to decrease the saturated fat content. You can even replace some of the milk with fat-free Greek yogurt for extra creaminess without the fat.

You can also include some ingredients to upgrade creamed spinach and add flavor. Although Ruth's Chris doesn't use it, garlic is a common ingredient in creamed spinach and can be added with the onion (or you can opt for shallots). The right spices can enliven the dish. Ground nutmeg and a touch of ground cloves are excellent additions to a white sauce like this one. You can even make it spicy with cayenne powder. For a unique flavor, add shredded Swiss cheese at the end (stir it in at the same time as the grated Parmesan, if you're using it). Finally, feel free not to puree the spinach if you'd like to preserve a chunkier texture.

You can make creamed spinach up to three days ahead of time if that suits your schedule better, and you won't need to make any changes to the recipe. Cook the dish, let it cool completely, and then store it in the fridge. Before serving, transfer the cold creamed spinach to a saucepan and reheat it on medium-low. Stir it often and don't raise the heat, or it could stick. You will probably have to add a little of the liquid you used in the original recipe to loosen it up and restore the creamy consistency. That could be milk, half-and-half, or cream. Even a splash of water would work if you run out of dairy. If you prefer to reheat the dish in the oven, transfer it to a baking dish and heat on 350 F for 15-20 minutes. Take it out of the oven once or twice during that time to stir and check if it needs a splash of liquid to restore it.

Freezing creamed spinach isn't our first choice, but it is possible. If you want to make the dish more than three days ahead of time, or if you won't finish the leftovers and want to freeze them, you can do so. Just know the texture may change, and it might become a bit grainy or watery. To reheat frozen creamed spinach, first thaw the frozen dish, then reheat using one of the methods described above.

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