BA's Best Spinach Artichoke Dip

Artichoke hearts from the freezer aisle are the rare exception to the rule “fresh is best.” They save time—and the trouble of cleaning the prickly bits from the hearts. If you want to follow suit with frozen spinach, we won’t tell, but we do find that opting for fresh spinach and blanching it yourself leads to a fresher-tasting dip. Either way, squeeze out as much liquid from the greens as possible. Adding them while they’re still wet can upset the creamy harmony of the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise.

A note on serving: While this spinach artichoke dip recipe is intended to be served hot, not room temperature, make sure to let it cool for a few minutes before serving so it can set (and, let’s be honest, so no one burns the roof of their mouth). As for the ideal dipping vehicle, it’s highly subjective, but tortilla chips and pita chips offer a sturdy, crunchy base, while toast from a loaf of crusty bread offers a bread bowl vibe without the mess.

Servings: 6

1 bunch spinach, thick stems trimmed

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely grated

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

1 10-oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, chopped

¾ cup grated Parmesan

Crackers, chips, or toasted baguette (for serving)

Preheat oven to 400°. Cook spinach in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain spinach, squeezing out excess liquid, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and use the towel to wring out as much liquid as possible. Be thorough and use some muscle; water from the spinach will make the dip thin and runny (not what you want). Transfer spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until pan begins to look dry, about 2 minutes; season spinach with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Pulse cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a food processor, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until combined and smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and fold in artichoke hearts, Parmesan, and spinach mixture; season with salt and pepper.

Scrape mixture into a 1-qt. baking dish and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Let dip cool slightly. Serve with crackers, chips, toast, or-dare we say it?-a vegetable.

Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in January 2015.

Servings: 6

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