nom nom nom.

Ooh, we like creamed spinach. We definitely do. (Points if you recognized Eloise's voice there.) As is becoming the usual, the base recipe for this gloriously rich and satisfying version came from Smitten Kitchen. How would I cook without the internet?

This is one of those things that looks boring and is absolutely NOT.

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Simple* Creamed Spinach

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup warm whole milk (or a mixture of milk and cream, or all cream if you're feeling especially luxurious)
16 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
salt and pepper to taste

1) Melt butter on medium heat in skillet. Saute onion for a few minutes; add garlic, lower heat, and cook covered until translucent and soft, about 7-10 minutes.
2) Whisk in cornstarch gradually to form roux (which is just a snooty name for butter-flour paste. But I like using the snooty names) and continue to whisk until lumps are gone, about a minute.
3) While still whisking roux and onion, add milk in a slow steady stream. Increase heat just a tad and bring to low simmer, still whisking, until nicely thickened.
4) Add spinach and stir until smooth. Let spinach warm through, and add salt/pepper to taste.
5) Devour-- serves about 3, depending on how hungry you are.

I like this more than the fancy-pants Parmesan or ricotta or herbes de Provence or whatever versions. It's good with everything.**

*Simple here meaning fast and easy, with a minimum of ingredients and requiring no equipment fancier than a whisk. Simple not meaning "yawn." There's some of this in the fridge right now and it's screaming my name, despite the fact that I already had lunch.

**Okay, maybe not with baked oatmeal. But you know what is good with brown-sugary hot baked oatmeal? Sliced banana. I just discovered that banana goes with oatmeal like, I don't know, insert bad cliche here. But it's heavenly good.