Spinach Madeline has remained a well-liked side dish in Southern Louisiana since it was first published in River Road Recipes, the community cookbook produced by the Junior League of Baton Rouge in 1959. It goes well with turkey, cornbread dressing, and green bean casserole during holidays because it is thick and creamy with a dash of jalapeo spiciness. For large groups, it’s simple to multiply and make. This can either be eaten right away or placed in a casserole with buttered bread crumbs on top. If the latter is prepared and chilled overnight, the flavor is enhanced. You could also freeze this.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 40 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 6 ounces processed cheese spread with jalapeno (such as Velveeta(R)), diced
- ¾ teaspoon celery salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place frozen spinach and water in a saucepan over high heat; bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 8 minutes. Separate with a fork and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Slowly add evaporated milk and the reserved cooking liquid, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Add processed cheese spread, celery salt, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne, and salt; cook and stir until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cooked spinach.
- Stir in cooked spinach and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 216 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 46 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Sodium | 1009 mg |
| Sugars | 5 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I’ve been making this for Christmas and Thanksgiving for YEARS! I have to double the recipe! It’s so delicious! River Road is famous in the south!
I will fight anyone who says this isn’t ridiculously delicious. I’ve made this every Christmas since I was a teenager and it became my official contribution to the feast. A lot has changed over the years — including the fact that the original Kraft cheese roll with jalapeno left the market (and Velveeta is a disappointing substitute) — but this remains delicious. In recent years, I’ve experimented with alternative cheeses, including pepper jack and jalapeno cheddar. This year, I used Shullsburg Creamery Hot Pepper Cheese (I’m in the Midwest now), and I think it’s the secret. It’s “cheese food” so it has that chemically assisted meltiness of the original jalapeno roll, plus is plenty spicy. One other tip: Instead of using water, use half a cup of what we used to call “spinach liquor” (the liquid left over from boiling up your frozen spinach) for a more intense spinachy flavor.
My copy of River Road was my grandmother’s and she wore it out. It’s missing this recipe and I’m so grateful that you posted it here. We’ve loved this at our holiday meals for over 50 years. As a kid, it was the only way I’d eat spinach
It would be zero stars… I love spinach and I love cheese but this was one of the worst tasting combos I’ve ever had!!! I’m sad that I wasted time out of my life to try this and it was inedible. Went out to the garbage. Don’t waste your time. So sad because like I said, I love spinach and I love cheese.
I grew up in BR and have made this for holidays and any other meal for over 45 years !!! Easy and ALWAYS a hit!!
Grrreeaat!