For many years, I dreaded Thanksgiving. Not the gathering itself, but the food: as a life-long vegetarian, I felt that an event focused on the ritual consumption of an animal missed the point for me, and — she’s not here to read this — my grandmother’s stuffing was always dry, and the mashed potatoes were lumpy. In 2017, I decided to take charge and volunteered to host for the first time.
For a festive vegetarian main, I stuffed a hollowed-out pumpkin with sourdough cubes, caramelized onions, herbs, and gruyere, then poured cream over the whole thing and baked it until the pumpkin began to sink into itself (more on that later).
But the real star was the panoply of sides, which spanned a range of flavors, from creamy-carby to tart-light. Spinach Madeline, a fiery creamed spinach, ended up being the star of the show. It is quite rich, but the spice prevents it from being stodgy.
It has since become a classic in my family, a staple requested for every celebratory dinner, from Thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond. I hope it becomes the same for yours as well.
This recipe is adapted from one originally published in River Road Recipes, the Junior League of Baton Rouge's community cookbook, and republished on www.allrecipes.com.
Three years of Thanksgiving plates, spinach Madeline at 9:00
Spinach Madeline
4 pounds fresh spinach or 2 pounds frozen chopped spinach
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1 8-oz block Cabot habanero cheddar*
1.5 teaspoons celery salt
Lemon juice
1 cup buttered breadcrumbs (melt three tablespoons butter in a pan, then add 1 cup breadcrumbs and lightly toast until completely coated in butter. They will continue to cook in the oven) *if you’re short on time or weary of more butter, plain breadcrumbs are fine.
Preheat oven to 375.
For frozen spinach: put in colander and pour boiling water over the spinach. Let sit for ten minutes, then drain, cool, and squeeze dry. It’s okay, or preferable even, for some moisture to remain in the spinach.
For fresh spinach: blanch for one minute in salted boiling water, then drain, cool, squeeze mostly dry, and chop finely.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan or ovenproof braiser over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the onion/garlic mixture, and cook until the mixture is thick and paste-like, about two minutes.
Add the evaporated milk slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick, then slowly add the grated cheese and stir until cheese is completely melted.
Add spinach and salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon and salt as needed. The heat and the fat will dull the flavors, and we want it to be perky, not dull, so be generous.
If not using an ovenproof pan, transfer to a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. and bake for 15 minutes. Use the broiler at the end if you need to further brown the breadcrumbs.
*If you can’t find habanero cheddar, try subbing Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack and a cup of diced, pickled jalapeños and a dash of brine to start. Taste and add more jalapeños as needed.
