As a child, I thought that Spinach Artichoke dip was a really fancy appetizer, mainly because I didn’t really know what an artichoke was and thought it was a luxury ingredient. But in fact, spinach artichoke dip is one of the most popular appetizers throughout all of the US, with many restaurants featuring a dip with at least one of these vegetables, as well as most stores stocking the dip prepackaged.
Though typically made with canned artichoke and frozen spinach, I recommend making it from scratch at least once to see the difference. The premade vegetables are certainly a time saver, but I think making it from scratch adds a nice freshness to the dish.
And of course, this dish isn’t the healthiest to eat if you plan on eating it by yourself, but with the Greek yogurt substituting the usual sour cream and mayo, you’ll have some extra protein to help better incorporate this dish to a balanced diet. You could also add in some cottage cheese to boost the cheesiness while also adding more protein as well. You can also adjust the ratio to make it more vegetable focused to limit the amount of calories. And of course, you can swap out the cheese for other ones as well, such as mozzarella and/or cheddar.
But, regardless of any of the variations you make, hopefully you’ll also have some friends to share this delicious appetizer with.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 artichokes (or 14oz can of artichoke hearts)
- 8-16oz. or so of Spinach
- 3-4 tbsp butter
- 1-2 tbsp flour
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 4-8 oz of cream cheese
- 1/3 cup of Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 cup or so of Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 cup or so of Romano Cheese
- Some red chili flakes (optional)
- Some baguette bread and/or chips
- Some Olive Oil to toast the bread (optional)
- Some herbs like rosemary or thyme (optional)
- Some Salt and Pepper
Step 1: Cook Artichokes in Water
First, fill a pot with some water and some salt and then add in your artichokes. Let this cook on medium heat for 15-30 minutes or until the artichokes soften.
Step 2: Preheat Oven for Bread & Garlic
While we wait, preheat the oven to 350 deg F and while we wait for this as well, we’ll prep the ingredients.
Step 3: Prepare your Bread
For the bread, slice this into individual sections but don’t cut all the way through.
Then, for the herbs, strip the herbs from their stems and give them a fine chop.
Once you’re ready, rub your bread with some olive oil making sure to get into all the cuts you made and then top this with your herb blend.
Step 4: Prepare your Garlic & Bake Bread & Garlic
Then, for your garlic, slice off the top, and place it in the center of some aluminum foil, cut side up.
Then, drizzle the top with olive oil and add some salt and some pepper. Wrap it up and transfer it to a baking sheet. And add your bread to this sheet as well.
Your oven should be ready now, so place your garlic and bread into the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes or until the bread is toasted to your liking.
Step 5: Prepare Your Spinach
While we wait for everything to finish, we’ll prep the spinach. So, in a saucepan, add in 1 tbsp of butter or oil and then add in your spinach a little bit at a time, to soften and cook the leaves a little.
Then, transfer the spinach to a bed of paper towels and let this cool a bit before pressing the spinach to drain out most of the water trapped inside.
If you’re using frozen spinach, you can skip this step since the spinach is already softened, but just make sure to defrost it and drain any excess liquid out as well.
Step 6: Remove from Water & Prepare Artichoke
Then, your artichokes should be ready about now, so remove them from the water and let them cool for a bit, before peeling off the leaves to reveal the heart.
Then, use a spoon to remove the choke of the artichoke, which is this hairy bit that’s not very pleasant to eat. Then, you should have the heart and the stem left.
Trim the tougher portions of the stem off and then dice your artichoke heart and stem.
Step 7: Remove Bread & Garlic from Oven & Reheat Oven for Later
Next, your bread and garlic should be done about now as well, so take these out of the oven, unwrap your garlic, and let your bread and garlic cool.
And then, set the oven to heat to 450 deg F, if needed.
Step 8: Make Simple Roux & Mix Everything Together
Then, to your saucepan, clean out any leftover bits and add in your remaining 3 tbsp of butter and your 1 tbsp of flour to make a simple roux.
Cook this for three to four minutes to allow the flour to cook and then, add in your artichokes and your Greek yogurt and give this a stir.
Add some milk or some of the artichoke water to thin out the sauce and then cook this for another 3 to 4 minutes until it starts bubbling.
When that happens, grate your parmesan and Romano cheeses and stir to combine them into the sauce.
Add in your roasted garlic to this as well and chop up your spinach and toss this in also.
Add in your red pepper flakes if you wish. And some salt and pepper as well.
And then add in the cream cheese and mix this until everything melts together.
Step 9: Brown Top of Dip in Oven
Then, you can eat this as is, but if you wish to add a nice browned top, transfer this mixture to an oven-safe dish and top this with some more shredded parmesan, and bake this for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is browned and bubbly.
Step 10: Remove Dip from Oven & Serve w/ Bread/Chips
Once your dip is to your liking, carefully remove it from the oven, and serve with your toasted bread or chips, and with that, your Spinach Artichoke Dip is ready to eat.