The Best Spinach Gratin Recipe Ever - Everyday Dishes (2024)

Home » eat » Spinach Gratin

by Cheryl Najafi on Aug 17, 2015 14 comments »

Jump to Recipe

Our spinach gratin recipe is how spinach was meant to be consumed—with lots of cheese! We perfected this recipe so it’s not ‘soupy’ like au gratin dishes you may have tasted in the past. In fact, we added just enough sauce to bind and flavor the spinach and used a nice, high-quality Monterey Jack or Gruyere cheese.

Don’t be fooled by the cheese, however, because our recipe contains nearly three pounds of leafy greens, making it a dense and hearty side dish. Sometimes our recipes are picked through but not totally consumed—but this time, there wasn’t a sliver of spinach or even a singlet of melted cheese left stuck to the pan. It’s that good.

The Best Spinach Gratin Recipe Ever - Everyday Dishes (1)

Our spinach gratin is perfect for every day dinners, a welcome holiday side dish and perfect for company. It’s a recipe that pairs well with just about anything, and while it’s listed under ‘sides,’ we’d be more than happy to eat this as a main course!

This post may include links to purchase items from our affiliates.

Spinach Gratin Recipe Tips:

Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the frozen spinach—the successful outcome of the dish depends on removing as much water as possible! A cheesecloth makes this super easy (paper towels can tend to disintegrate with all the extra moisture.)
You can also use fresh spinach in this recipe, but you’ll need quite a bit. You’ll want to substitute 1 – 1.5lbs of fresh spinach for every 10oz bag of frozen – so 5 – 7lbs of fresh spinach for this recipe. Cook it down in a pan and then add it in at the same spot as the frozen spinach in the recipe.
Not a fan of the cheeses we use? Swap in the melty ones that you prefer.

Spinach Gratin Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

One of our most popular recipe – you will go nuts for our spinach gratin. It’s super easy, packed with spinach and tastes amazing!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Yield: 8 -10 servings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, lightly coat a 2-qt casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Place a large skillet over medium heat then melt butter. Add onions and cook 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic then cook 1 additional minute.
Add flour then cook, stirring constantly for 1 additional minute. Add milk, salt and nutmeg then stir until combined. Bring liquid to a bubble then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach—the successful outcome of the dish depends on removing as much water as possible! Add spinach and Parmesan cheese to sauce and stir until completely combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Transfer to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with Monterey Jack or Gruyere cheese. Bake for 28–30 minutes or until cheese becomes golden and dish is hot and bubbly.

Notes

Don’t be shy when it comes time to remove the liquid from the spinach. The success of this dish depends on it!

Author: Cheryl Najafi

Course: side dishes

Calories: 193kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 572mg, Potassium: 1135mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g

Tried this recipe?Mention @EverydayDishes or tag #everydaydishes!

The Best Spinach Gratin Recipe Ever - Everyday Dishes (4)

More mouth-watering vegetarian recipes.

Christmas eat Keto side dishes Thanksgiving Vegetarian Video

originally published on Aug 17, 2015 (last updated Oct 26, 2023)

14 comments on “Spinach Gratin”

FAQs

Can you make Ina Garten's spinach gratin ahead of time? ›

This spinach gratin, from her fabulous 2001 “Barefoot Contessa Parties!” cookbook (Clarkson Potter), is perfect for the Thanksgiving table. Make it a day ahead, cover, refrigerate and bake while the turkey is resting. Garten told me she keeps Thanksgiving as traditional as possible.

What makes a dish a gratin? ›

A gratin is a dish that is topped with cheese, or bread crumbs mixed with bits of butter, then heated in the oven or under the grill until brown and crisp. The terms au gratin or gratinée refer to any dish prepared in such a manner.

See Details ›

Why should the potato slices for the gratin not be soaked in water before adding to the cream? ›

I don't recommend soaking the potatoes in water ahead of time for our potatoes au gratin (as some recipes call for). Soaking them will cause them to lose some of their starch, which helps to keep this dish creamy. The dish will still get a nice, crisp top without soaking the potatoes.

Discover More ›

How do you keep au gratin potatoes from curdling? ›

High oven temperatures can make the milk's components break apart, again leaving the proteins free to clump together. To prevent curdling, cook your scalloped potatoes at a lower temperature and across a longer period of time.

Show Me More ›

What is the difference between gratin and scalloped? ›

The difference comes down to cheese. Scalloped potato recipes are usually baked in a basic cream sauce until soft and tender, with no cheese topping. Potatoes au gratin are a bit more decadent. They are made with lots of cheese sprinkled in between the layers of potatoes and also on top of the casserole.

View Details ›

How deep should a gratin dish be? ›

Butter a gratin dish (which should be long and large and about 5 cm (2 in) deep) and sprinkle 2 chopped garlic slices on the bottom, a pinch of salt and pepper and more nutmeg.

Get More Info ›

Why is my au gratin watery? ›

If you stored the sliced potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, but didn't drain them well and pat them dry before adding them to the baking dish, you may have added extra water to the dish. You could have also used the wrong kind of potato, as some waxy potatoes can release more water than starchier potatoes.

Find Out More ›

Can you make Ina Garten potato gratin ahead of time? ›

Ina Garten Is Ditching Mashed Potatoes for This 5-Ingredient, Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipe. The best part (well, besides all the cheese)? You can prep it a day in advance.

Show Me More ›

Can scalloped potatoes be refrigerated before cooking? ›

Let sit until room temperature and then drain and place in a glass pan (not metal) and refrigerate before using the next day. This is the perfect way to make sure the potatoes layered in a casserole dish are cooked when heated and serving.

View Details ›

How long does au gratin last in fridge? ›

How Do You Store Leftover Potatoes Au Gratin? Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.

Can you make Ina Garten's mac and cheese ahead of time? ›

Make ahead Mac & Cheese Recipe

But if needed, prepare the recipe entirely the day in advance and refrigerate until ready to heat. Take it out of the fridge for about 30 -45 minutes before you are ready to take the chill off and then bake according to directions.