Cheesy Sautéed Garlic Spinach

Cheesy Sautéed Garlic Spinach or fried spinach with feta, goat, bleu or cheddar, is so easy! This sauteed spinach with cheese recipe can include bacon too!

Sauteed Spinach with Cheese

We all know that spinach has amazing health benefits. Bill Maher once said, "The answer isn't another pill. The answer is spinach".  Very true Bill; but like a pill that's hard to swallow, the same could be said for cooked spinach, as it may taste metallic and bitter.

When you try this Sauteed Spinach with Cheese recipe, those unpleasant tastes become a distant memory. Unlike steaming or blanching, sauteing spinach in a little oil gives it a nice flavor. Top it with cheese and the dish comes to life!

Cheese has been around for thousands of years and it's no small wonder that it's still very popular today!

Why does cheese taste so good? According to Michael Tunick, a US research chemist, it's because bacteria break down the fats in molecules that have flavors. He compares it to the fermentation process of making beer and wine.

Using bacteria and flavor in the same sentence sounds like an oxymoron to me but if the end result is cheese, that's a gift to the taste buds. 

Although high in fat, many scientists today are saying that cheese is not as harmful as originally thought as it contains valuable proteins and calcium.

For a cheese lover like me, that's fantastic news and I have tried almost every kind of cheese in making this simple recipe,

My go-to soft cheeses are Feta, Goat, Blue and Cottage. I also adore other cheeses such as Mozzarella, Asiago, Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, Romano, Colby, Monterey Jack and Swiss.

Whether you love soft cheese or hard cheese, it doesn't matter because it all comes down to preference and taste. 

The best Sauteed Spinach with Cheese recipe you will ever taste is the one you make, of course!

Fried Spinach with Garlic

Spinach can be enjoyed in many different ways.  I love it in salads, sauces, soups, pasta and casseroles. The list is endless, but my all-time favorite is this Fried Spinach with Garlic!

Add garlic to fried spinach and you've got a match like no other. Fried spinach and garlic work brilliantly together. Top it with a little cheese and you've got a dish you can truly savor and appreciate.

Garlic is so fragrant and aromatic, it tastes wonderful in so many dishes and this easy side dish is no exception. If you're a garlic lover, start with 6 cloves or 2 tablespoons of fresh minced garlic. 

Don't overdo it though. Garlic can overwhelm the senses and you don't want too much of a good thing.

If  you're trying this recipe for the first time, consider using a little less garlic. My suggestion would be 1 tablespoon (3 garlic cloves), sliced or minced.

Personally, I can't get enough garlic. I love it so much and use it in many of my recipes. I will even experiment with it in dishes I've never tried before! In almost every case, the results turn out beautifully. It's like the "secret sauce". 

Sauteed Spinach with Bacon

If cheese is royalty, then bacon is the rock star. There's nothing like the smell and taste of bacon and it can revive even the most boring of recipes.  The intense flavor of bacon makes this sauteed  spinach dish come alive!

In the world of cooking, cheese and bacon are like vibrant colors on a beautiful painting. Our senses are heightened and the world seems less gray.

Lacking these two vital ingredients, the taste of sauteed spinach would not be worth making.

To make this Sauteed Spinach with Bacon recipe, wilt the spinach, sprinkle it with cheese, then remove your skillet from the heat.

Before you start, gather all your ingredients together as spinach cooks so quickly and timing is everything.

• ½ pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease
• 1 onion, sliced or diced
• 3-6 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
• ½ to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1-½ pounds of regular or baby spinach
• ¼ to ¾ cups of your favorite varieties of cheese 

1. In a large skillet cook your bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. 
2. To remove a lot of bacon grease in your skillet. tip the pan to the side and carefully absorb some of the grease into a ball of paper towel.
3. Then heat the remaining bacon grease over medium heat.
4. Add the onions and stir until tender; about 5 minutes. If using regular spinach, add it at the same time with your onions.
5. Add crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper and stir.
6. Place bacon pieces back into your skillet.
7. If using baby spinach, add it now and toss it until wilted (less than a minute).
8. Sprinkle with cheese and remove from heat.
9. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Spinach and Cheddar Cheese

Ken used to have a dog that actually loved cooked spinach with cheddar cheese!  I kid you not! Ken was raised by his grandparents who owned a small farm. One day as they were driving to the market, the road they usually took was closed so they were forced to take a dirt road.   

They discovered a dog lying by the side of the road. Dehydrated and malnourished, they took him home. Grandpa figured he was a mix of German Shepherd and St. Bernard. His fur was long and mostly black. One ear pointed straight up and the other flopped down. One eye was brown and the other was green. Grandpa named him Lucky because he if he hadn't been rescued, he would have surely died. He was a big and odd looking fellow but they grew to love him.

Grandma initially fed him what they ate, so he never took a liking to dog food. When she was cooking spinach with cheddar cheese, he would put his paw on her leg while she was at the stove making it. Then he would take a seat at the table, eyes wide and licking his chops.

I laughed when I heard that story. Lucky sounded like quite a character and I so wished I'd had the chance to meet him.

I have to admit that cheddar is my cheese of choice when cooking spinach.

This Spinach and Cheddar Cheese side dish takes only minutes to prepare and is the last thing I make just before serving dinner. When I'm about ready to remove it from the heat, I smother it with cheddar cheese and it melts in seconds. Serve it to your family and I guarantee there will be smiles all around the table.

Adding bacon to this Spinach and Cheddar cheese recipe and you've really kicked it up a notch. The flavor of the bacon and the sharpness of the cheddar cheese complement each other so well, they're like kitchen soul mates. 

Bacon also works well with many other cheeses. It all comes down to preference, so feel free to choose your favorite(s).  

Ingredients in Cheesy Sautéed Garlic Spinach

• spinach
• oil
• garlic
• cheeses: feta, goat, Bleu, cheddar cheese, Parmesan, Romano, Swiss, etc)

How to make Cheesy Sautéed Garlic Spinach

1. Remove the coarse spinach stems, wash and drain.
2. Place oil in a skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat until it shimmers or a drop of water flicks and dances.
3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds; reduce heat if the garlic starts to turn brown.
4. Stir constantly.
5. Add spinach and cook until it starts to wilt; between 1 and 2 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of spinach you choose.
6. Remove spinach from skillet or wok and place on serving plate.
7. Sprinkle immediately with cheese.
8. Serve and enjoy!

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