Simple skillet dinners are my go-to right now. With December 25th quickly approaching things are busier than ever. This means I’m relying on easy dinners both for weeknights as well as for entertaining in the coming weeks. Last week I shared a creamy Tuscan inspired sun-dried tomato chicken and this week? Switching it up with salmon in a creamy spinach and artichoke sauce. Similar…ish, but different, and both so DELICIOUS. This is what I am calling “winter” salmon. Personally, I always associate seafood with spring and summer. But I know many of you love to cook salmon throughout the winter months as well. So, I drew inspiration from everyone’s requests and created a cozy, creamy salmon that’s perfect for these snow-filled winter days. And trust me, around here we have had some very snowy days and nights. As I mentioned in Sunday’s favorite’s post, our weekend was filled with snow and days inside cooking and baking. I happily spent Saturday with my litter sister, Asher, making gingerbread houses and sipping on steaming hot chocolate. Twas the perfect snowy December weekend. With days like the ones we are having, warming recipes are just what we need…enter this salmon. It’s a good mix of comfort food paired with healthy fish and even some vegetables too. So. Very. Balanced.
Making this salmon is easy, here is how.
I do bake this salmon, but I usually, like to start out by searing each filet in a super hot skillet to get a nice browned “crust”. I do this more for additional flavor and color. But I’ll be the first to tell you that if you don’t feel like messing up the stove, or simply don’t have the time, you can easily skip this step. Completely up to you. Once the salmon is seasoned up and seared (if you choose), it’s onto the creamy spinach and artichoke sauce. This sauce is the heart of this recipe. It’s basically spinach and artichoke dip, just a little lighter and looser to be more like a sauce. The first step is the garlicky butter that also has shallots and sage. Besides finely chopping the garlic, I like to smash it down to infuse the butter with garlic flavor. But not overwhelm all the other flavors happening throughout this dish. Once the garlic is caramelizing, toss in a handful of fresh sage and allow the sage to slowly fry up as the butter begins to brown. It’s a five minute or so process, but within those five minutes, your kitchen is going to smell amazing. Nothing is better than herby browned butter with hints of garlic. Once the butter is browned, the garlic caramelized, and the sage fried. Add in some cream, or canned coconut milk is what I normally use. Then add the cream cheese, and nutty manchego cheese. Whisk until creamy and toss in fresh spinach and marinated artichoke hearts. Remove from the heat, add the salmon, and transfer the dish to the oven to finish baking. Ten minutes later the salmon should be cooked throughout, and the sauce bubbling up around each buttery piece, so GOOD.
Can you prepare this ahead of time?
You can! The number one question I seem to be getting is if recipes can be made in advance. So I kept that in mind when creating this recipe. If you want to prep the sauce and salmon ahead for entertaining, that’s easy to do. Just mix up the sauce, add the salmon, and keep the whole dish in the fridge until ready to bake. When you want to serve, just remove the dish from the fridge, let it come back to room temperature, then bake and enjoy. This easy prep ahead step makes this a wonderful recipe to entertain with over the holidays. I know my cousins are already looking forward to giving this a try. They’re actually the ones who encouraged me to make this!
What shall you serve this with?
I recommend a pretty winter salad and crusty bread for scooping up extra artichoke sauce. If you want a heartier side dish, go for my favorite stacked potatoes. Something lighter? Steamed quinoa or cauliflower rice. Keeping this recipe in my “back pocket” for the weeks ahead. It’s already a favorite of mine and my dad’s, and now I’m excited to share this with the rest of the family…very soon! And of course, if you need a quick Monday night dinner that feels comforting, but is still healthy-ish, this is that recipe.
If you make this creamy spinach and artichoke salmon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
