Delicious Spinach and Artichoke Dip
This classic spring side-dish makes for a yummy way to eat your veggies!
Now that spring has turned its comely weather to us, it might be a good time to turn to fresh ingredients such as vegetables . . . ahem . . . spinach. It’s packed with vitamins and yummy by itself, and with a little know-how and a few extra ingredients standing by, you can turn this humble veggie into a classic party dip that will have everyone—spinach lovers or not—begging for more.
This is a creamy twist on the tried-and-true spinach dip, in which you add artichoke hearts, which are basically a part of the spiny flower-things you’ve probably had the chance to marvel at in your local grocery store. Not only do artichoke hearts complement the incredible taste, but they give your dip an exciting, subtle deliciousness.
Ingredients
• 2 (10 oz.) packages of frozen, chopped spinach
• ½ sick of butter (I prefer 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, but whatever works for you is great!)
• 1 (14 oz.) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.
• 1 ½ 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
• 1 (16 oz.) container of sour cream
• ½ Cup of parmesan cheese (grated, not powdered)
• ½ Cup of asiago cheese (grated)
• 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped onion
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Microwave spinach until it’s hot and no longer frozen in a large oven-safe casserole dish.
- Add the cream cheese and artichoke hearts to the spinach, and mix well, reheating in the microwave for a bit if the ingredients aren’t mixing well enough.
- Stir butter (or olive oil), minced garlic and chopped onion in a small pan over medium heat for five minutes.
- Pour garlic mixture into spinach mixture, add the cheeses (save a handful of each), salt, and pepper, and stir well.
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and broil until top is bubbly and light brown.
Tips, Tricks and Extras
• Serve this warm and quickly; spinach dip gets cold fast!
• If artichoke hearts aren’t your thing, feel free to leave them out for a regular—but still delicious—spinach dip.
• You can eat this with nearly any type of chip or bread for dipping, but my favorite way is to slice bagels, then brush them with olive oil and broil in the oven for a few minutes. These are extra toasty and moist, so they’re great with this dip. Yum!
• Yes, artichokes are actually flowers, not vegetables. To be exact, artichokes are actually flowers of the Globe Artichoke, a perennial thistle originating in southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Brittany Perry lives in Mango, Fla.,, and likes spinach very much, with great gratitude to her grandparents, who, with their great cooking skills, can make any vegetable taste delish!