Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Hot, cheesy, and straightforward — this is the version that disappears first at any party. Cream cheese is the base, mozzarella provides the gooeyness, parmesan does the seasoning work, and sour cream keeps the whole thing from being too dense. The two non-negotiables: squeeze the frozen spinach until your hands ache, and let the cream cheese reach room temperature before you try to mix anything. Watery spinach ruins the texture. Cold cream cheese makes a lumpy mess. Everything else is flexible.
Ingredients
- 250 gcream cheese
- 120 gsour cream
- 120 gmayonnaise
- 300 gfrozen spinach
- 400 gcanned artichoke hearts in water
- 3 garlic cloves
- 60 gparmesan
- 150 glow-moisture mozzarella
- ½ tspfine salt
- ¼ tspblack pepper
- ¼ tspred pepper flakes
Method
- Deal with the spinach first. Put the thawed frozen spinach into a clean tea towel or several layers of paper towel and squeeze hard — very hard — over the sink. You want to remove as much water as physically possible. Press, twist, press again. One standard 300g block of frozen spinach can release nearly half a cup of water. If that water stays in, the dip will be thin and wet by the time it comes out of the oven. Once squeezed, roughly chop the spinach if the pieces are large. Set aside.
- Mix the base. Make sure the cream cheese is genuinely at room temperature — it should feel soft when you press it, not cold and firm. Cold cream cheese will not blend smoothly and will leave lumps. Put the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a large bowl and stir together until smooth. Add the garlic, parmesan, about two-thirds of the mozzarella, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix until combined.
- Add the vegetables. Fold in the squeezed spinach and roughly chopped artichoke hearts. Don't over-mix — you want to see distinct pieces of artichoke rather than a uniform paste. Taste the mixture now, before it goes into the oven, and adjust the salt. The flavors will concentrate slightly as it bakes, so if it tastes right raw it will taste right baked.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish — a 20 cm square or a medium cast iron pan both work. Scatter the remaining mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the cheese on top has melted. For a browned top, switch the oven to grill/broil for the final 2 to 3 minutes. Watch it closely — the difference between golden and burnt is about 60 seconds under a broiler.
- Serve. Let the dip rest for 5 minutes before serving — it sets slightly and is easier to scoop. Serve hot directly from the baking dish with toasted baguette slices, pita chips, crackers, or vegetable sticks. The dip firms up as it cools and can be reheated: cover with foil and warm in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or microwave in short bursts.
FAQ
Yes. Start with about 450g of fresh spinach leaves. Wilt them in a dry pan over high heat in batches — a full bag takes about 3 minutes. Let the wilted spinach cool completely, then squeeze out the water exactly as you would with frozen spinach. The end result is the same in the dip, but fresh spinach needs more prep time. Frozen is easier for this recipe; the texture difference in the final dip is negligible.
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Comments (1)
The single most important thing is squeezing the spinach dry. I mean really dry — wrap it in a clean towel and twist until nothing comes out. I've ruined this dip twice by being lazy about it. Also, room temperature cream cheese is not optional — cold cream cheese makes the dip grainy and lumpy no matter how long you mix.