2-cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip

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.

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.

2-cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip

Recipe by Connie Veneracion

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 tonight while streaming whatever's new on Netflix.

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.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 3 cups

Print recipe

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (see notes after the recipe)
• 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

Video

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.

Notes

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.

Keyword Cheese, Dip, Spinach

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