Fall Fest: Creamed Spinach

Folks have very strong feelings about spinach--you know it’s good for you, but sometimes it’s hard to convince yourself to eat it. The phrase “eat your spinach” is often associated with doing something you don’t want to do but know you probably should. Even if the healthy benefits of spinach might not be as immediate as some of us remember from Saturday morning cartoons, the long-term benefits are just as dramatic. The trick can be finding a way to eat it that you find appealing.Here are three quick reasons to make spinach a part of your diet:

1. Spinach is a nutrient-dense food that is low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals. If you’re trying to lose weight or just maintain your weight, spinach is a great way to get all the good stuff into your body without having to count calories.
2. Spinach is a heart-healthy food that is loaded with Vitamins A and C, which are natural antioxidants that help keep cholesterol in check.
3. Spinach is versatile. It can be eaten raw in a salad or as part of a sandwich, or cooked and eaten as a dish on its own or added to a soup or other dish.

Whether you use fresh spinach or canned, there is nothing like a well seasoned creamed spinach. And here’s another secret about creamed spinach: it is just as tasty when you eat it cold the next day.

Ingredients

2 slices raw bacon, diced 1/2"1/4 cup onion, diced 1/4"1/2 tsp. garlic, minced1 pinch black pepper, ground1 pinch nutmeg, ground1-1/4 cups of 2% milk, divided into 1 cup and 1/4 cup2 tbsp. cornstarch1 27 oz. can Glory Foods Spinach, drained1 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Place diced bacon and onion in a large nonstick saute pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon begins to brown and the onions soften.
2. Stir in the pepper and nutmeg, and immediately add 1 cup of milk. Heat until simmering.
3. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering milk, stirring constantly. Heat until sauce thickens.
4. Stir the drained spinach into the sauce. Mix until well combined.
5. Heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling. Stir in parmesan cheese.
6. Pour into a serving dish and serve immediately.

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Food Network's Fall Fest

We're thinking about spinach this week, as part of Food Network’s Fall Fest, a season-long food celebration where Food Network editors team up with blogs to share ideas and recipes for using fall's best fruits and vegetables.What’s your favorite spinach recipe? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook, or join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #cookingwith.Be sure to visit the other Fall Fest blog posts for other great recipes, tips, and ideas:What's Gaby Cooking:Spinach-Artichoke CupsFrom My Corner of Saratoga:Cannelloni Stuffed With Ricotta SpinachAnd Love It Too:Bacon Infused Wilted SpinachNapa Farmhouse 1885:Spinach-Pesto Tacos With Roasted Tomatillo SalsaVirtually Homemade:Spinach Pepita (Pumpkin Seed) PestoCooking With Elise:Spinach and Artichoke FondueThe Sensitive Epicure:Catalan Spinach With Raisins, Pine Nuts and BaconCIA Dropout:Spinach and Cheddar FrittataFN Dish:Stuffed Spinach Recipes