by charityc 45 Comments
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There are many things to love about this frozen spinach recipe.
First, it’s super versatile:
- Dice garlic, use the kind in a jar or grab garlic powder from your pantry.
- Use frozen spinach or fresh.
- Add wine or chicken broth.
It’s all up to you.
I also love this frozen spinach recipe because it’s vaguely Italian. That reminds me of our best times living in Rome, where three of our kids were born.
What you need for this Frozen Spinach Recipe
This frozen spinach recipe only requires a few ingredients, all of which are easy to keep on hand at any time.
1. FROZEN SPINACH
I use cut leaf spinach in a 16 or 10-ounce bag.
2. WHITE WINE
I learned how to make this dish when we lived in Italy and they use wine. It is not required, though I think it’s delicious and so do our kids. If you feel weird about cooking with wine for kids, or you already drank all the wine, you don’t need it. Use water, use lemon juice or use 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
3. GARLIC OR GARLIC POWDER
However, the garlic (or garlic powder) and olive oil are not negotiable. Do not make this without them. (And if you do, do not mention my name.)
4. SALT.
That’s it. In 10 minutes, you’ll have a great spinach little side dish you can make once a week.
Believe me. I’ve fed it to four kids many, many times.
RECIPE
Simple Sides: Frozen Spinach + Garlic + Olive Oil
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
4.2 from 18 reviews
I like cut-leaf spinach for this frozen spinach recipe but even chopped spinach works. And if you don’t have a 16-ounce bag, the 10-ounce bag will be fine. Just use less liquid.
Also, don’t thaw the spinach. Believe it or not, your frozen spinach cooks quickly in a hot pan.
- Author: Charity Mathews, founder of Foodlets.com
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen cut-leaf spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, diced or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 cup white wine, chicken broth or water plus juice of a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3–4 cracks of fresh pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet, then add spinach and garlic or garlic powder. Stir for 2 minutes, then add your liquid of choice.
- Add salt and pepper then bring to a simmer and allow liquid to evaporate a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Serve when you’re ready. This one can wait a while on the stove, and even be made ahead of time and warmed in the microwave.
- Too much liquid? Just drain it off OR sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs plus a bit of cream cheese for a rich variation: creamed spinach in minutes!
There you go! As a mom of four small kids, I’m big on simple spinach recipes of almost any kind but a frozen spinach recipe is even better. But this is is my go-to. Especially when I’m in a hurry or exhausted, two states that often come as a pair.
As a bonus, you can also use the same technique for fresh spinach too.
Would your kids eat this spinach? Find out how to help picky eaters here, with a free 6-part email series!
Tools to make this Frozen Spinach with Garlic Recipe
Big sautépan. I’ve used mine almost every single day, and it looks brand new after 15 years.
Flat bottomed wooden spoon. Unlike regular spoons, these scrape the bottom perfectly. And because I use them almost daily, I love a set like this one.
Get Kids Excited
One of our goals at Foodlets is making fresh, wholesome food easy and fun for your whole family. This part’s just for the rascals.
Fun Facts
- Spinach is an easy crop to grow in the garden. It doesn’t grow well in hot weather, but grows best during cool, rainy spring weather.
- During World War I, spinach juice was added to wine and given to soldiers who had been injured. The reason is that spinach is good for building blood.
- Spinach was probably first cultivated in Persia (now called Iran). It spread to Europe during the Middle Ages (about 400 AD to 1200 AD) and has always been known for its health benefits.
Just for laughs
What kind of veggies do dancers love most?
Spin-ach
Wow! Did you know?
You can grow spinach without any dirt at all. Instead the spinach grows in water. Find out how.
Want more easy veggie dishes kids love?
Try a few of our rascals’ favorites or browse all of our vegetable recipes here!
