Yes, I already have three recipes for spinach-artichoke dip on my site—and my forever-favorite has already been decided, but it does take quite a bit of work compartiverly. This one is, by far, the easiest spinach-artichoke dip recipe I have. Also, did you see the title? If extra-cheesy didn’t sell you, I think you’re on the wrong website.
This recipe has equal weights of cheddar and cream cheese, so the title is no lie. Also, a dollop of Dijon, an uncommon ingredient in the spin-art dips I’ve eaten, is in this one, which helps bring a little tang and acidity to cut through all that cheese I just mentioned. I am not a fan of the texture of frozen spinach, so when I can, I sauté fresh spinach and squeeze out a little residual liquid if needed; I think the texture and taste are far superior. If you are really opposed to doing that, you can absolutely use frozen thawed spinach.
This recipe is really as simple as sautéing some fresh spinach and artichokes, grating some cheese, and stirring everything together before baking. If I need spinach-artichoke dip STAT (this craving hits once a week for me; how about you?), this is the one I’m making.
Side note: Have you ever had Dots pretzels? Please order yourself some and dip away.
Extra-Cheesy Cheddar Spinach-Artichoke Dip
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Extra-cheesy spinach-artichoke dip…what more do you need to know? Okay, fine, it’s very easy to whip together, too!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20 ounces fresh baby spinach (or 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- One 14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained (some liquid reserved for thinning the dip, if needed) and coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 ounces coarsely grated sharp white cheddar
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Finely chopped fresh chives, to finish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and fresh spinach and sauté until the spinach has wilted and most of the moisture has evaporated. Add the garlic clove and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped artichokes, cream cheese, white cheddar (reserve 3/4 cup for the top), Djion, and sautéed spinach and garlic. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until thoroughly combined. If your mixture looks very thick, you can thin it out with a bit of the reserved artichoke liquid. Transfer to a small baking dish and sprinkle the reserved cheddar over top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the dip is hot and the top is melted and golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives before serving.
Notes
Inspiration: Extra-Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip on food52.com
- Category: Appetizers, Dips