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Vegetables Appetizers Lunch / Dinner

2-cheese spinach and artichoke dip

Published: 09.17.2021 » Last updated: 08.25.2022

Chopped spinach and marinated artichoke hearts are stirred with cheeses, sour cream, mayo and seasonings to make this dip. We enjoy it with toast or tortilla chips.

Scooping spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chip

I was surprised to read that this dip is a retro dish that became popular in the 50s when eating in front of the TV was a thing. See, that was exactly how I intended to enjoy it while streaming whatever’s new on Netflix.

Spinach and artichoke dip may be smooth or chunky. Ours is somethere in-between. We like to get discernible bits of spinach and artichoke with each scoop.

But it’s more than a dip in my menu. I personally like to use it as a sandwich spread too. Can you imagine it on the bottom half of a baguette and topping it with a fat sausage and covering everything with the top half of the bread?

How exactly is spinach and artichoke dip prepared? Just mix everything together and serve? No. It’s not a no-cook dish. It’s baked actually for half an hour or so until the cheeses melt and turn bubbly. You may even bake it a few minutes longer until the top is lightly browned.

But there’s nothing difficult with the preparation. Just chop, grate and mix. All very basic kitchen skills. Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, you have the option of baking the mixture in one large dish or in single-serve bowls. We opted for the latter. We’re four in the family and each one got a ramekin of cheesy spinach artichoke dip for solo enjoyment.

Chopping spinach and marinated artichoke hearts

Start by chopping the spinach and artichokes. I used to blanch and squeeze the spinach when making this dip but my daughter, Alex, showed me how unnecessary that was. Don’t worry about the water content of fresh spinach. It will actually make your dip lighter and easier to scoop.

Adding cream cheese and seasonings to spinach and artichoke in mixing bowl

Next, place the chopped spinach and artichokes in a mixing bowl and add the cream cheese, dried onion, garlic and ground pepper. Make sure your cream cheese has been softened to room temperature. You’re going to mix all that together and cold cream cheese is much too firm to mix into a creamy consistency.

So, take your cream cheese out of the fridge for half an hour before you start prepping the vegetables. In fact, it is even a better idea to cut the cream cheese into smaller pieces once you take it out of the fridge. That should soften it faster.

Adding cheddar and mayo to spinach artichoke dip

Once the cream cheese has been blended with the spinach and artichokes, grated cheddar and mayo are added and everything is mixed together.

Now, the seasonings. Add lime juice, sour cream, lemon pepper seasoning and chipotle. All that will give your dip multi-dimensional flavor. Without them, you’re just relying on the saltiness of the cream cheese and cheddar, and saltiness just isn’t enough to make a great dip.

Spooning spinach artichoke mixture into oven-proof bowls

Once you’ve mixed the seasonings into the vegetables and cheeses, you’re ready to bake your dip. Fill four remakins with the mixture (or use just one baking bowl if you want to serve the dip party-style) and bake. Once the dip is bubbly and the top is lightly browned, it is ready to serve.

2-cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip

Connie Veneracion
What makes our formula for making this dip unique? We add lime juice, lemon pepper seasoning and ground chipotle. Better aroma, more tang and more kick.
Spinach artichoke dip surrounded by tortilla chips
Print Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • 1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts - (in jar or can)
  • 1 cup cream cheese - (250 grams) at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon dried onion
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 125 grams sharp cheddar - grated
  • ¼ cup mayo - Japanese mayo is highly recommended
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice - or lemon juice
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon ground chipotle

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Place the chopped spinach and artichokes in a mixing bowl, and add the cream cheese, dried onion, garlic and ground pepper.
  • Mix to break up the cream cheese.
  • Add the cheddar and mayo, and mix again.
  • Pour in the lime juice and sour cream.
  • Finally, sprinkle in the lemon pepper seasoning and chipotle, and give the mixture a few more stirs until everything is well distributed.
  • Spoon the mixture into a baking dish or dishes.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
  • Serve your spinach and artichoke dip with toast or tortilla chips.
Print Pin Recipe
Keyword Cheese, Dip, Spinach

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Connie Veneracion, Chiang Mai, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Welcome to Umami Days, a blog that advocates innovative home cooking for pleasurable everyday dining. No trendy diets, no food fads and definitely no ludicrous recipe names like crustless quiche, noodleless pho or chocolate lasagna.

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