This Classic Old School Side Dish Gets A New Lease On Life With One Simple Swap

Creamed spinach is a real personality dish. It is equally fit for a quality steak restaurant's side menu as it is as an appetizer for one of your boomer grandmom's classic dinners. In either case, unlike other accompaniments like a salad or rice, which could consist of about a million different things, creamed spinach is very much itself — until it isn't.

To elevate creamed spinach, cleverly swapping in kale is the most reasonable possible switcheroo that still skews close enough to the source material. What differences emerge are in the eye of the beholder. Leafy green devotees will likely notice the kale's sturdier constitution and pleasant, passing bitterness on the first bite. Casual tasters might just think they got a particularly strong batch of Popeye's secret weapon. Still, the preparation differences are so negligible that you can switch these greens up more or less on a whim.

Creamed spinach is a descriptively titled recipe, so it is only conducive to adaptations in some very narrow cases. You can fairly omit or substitute plenty of the spices or even the cheese, but skip the titular cream and spinach and you'll often get laughed out of the potluck — that is, until you try this dish with kale.

To transform creamed kale into creamed spinach, you'll need a little extra time. Spinach you can easily wilt to oblivion, stems and all, but kale's woodier stalks should really be removed first if you want the best product possible. (You can always turn those kale stems into a punchy snack for future use.) Kale is also much more rugged than wispy spinach bits, so you'll also need a few more minutes to cook it down so it takes on a nice, soft texture.

Once your kale is stripped and torn to bits, it's a good idea to give it a blanch to ensure a tender plate. Once it's drained and decently dry, you'll saute it with a bit of butter and cream. When it comes to new recipes, it's always best to err on the safe side, so start off with a small amount of each. (After all, it's easier to add more liquid if you need it than to take this dish back from soupy to silky). Exact amounts will depend on how much creamed kale you're hoping to make. Once you've added those ingredients, stir in salt, pepper, a generous pinch of grated Parmesan, and a tablespoon or so of cream cheese for that professional kitchen polish. After about five minutes, it should start to look like the proper side we all know and love.