Hot Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip

Why you’ll love it

• Creamy, cheesy and bubbly with a golden, crusty top.
• Pantry-friendly: frozen spinach, canned artichokes and basic dairy.
• Make-ahead party food: assemble it the day before and bake when guests arrive.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the dip

• 1 package (10 oz / 283 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) artichoke hearts in water, drained
• 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60 g) mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup (85 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella

For the topping

• 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup (28 g) shredded mozzarella

For serving

• Tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices, pita chips, crackers or vegetable sticks

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 1 1/2-quart (1.5 liter) baking dish, such as a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish or an oval gratin dish.

2. Squeeze the spinach. Put the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel, gather the towel around it and twist and squeeze over the sink until no more liquid comes out. You should have about 3/4 cup of very dry spinach.

3. Chop the artichokes. Pat the drained artichoke hearts dry with paper towels and chop them into bite-size pieces, removing any tough outer leaves.

4. Make the creamy base. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and black pepper with a spatula or hand mixer until smooth.

5. Fold in the vegetables and cheese. Add the spinach, artichokes, 3/4 cup Parmesan and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Stir until the spinach is evenly distributed, breaking up any clumps.

6. Top and bake. Spread the dip in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella. Bake 20–25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and golden in spots on top. For a browner top, broil 1–2 minutes, watching closely.

7. Rest and serve. Let the dip rest 5 minutes so it thickens slightly, then serve hot with chips, bread, crackers or vegetables.

How to know it is done

The dip is ready when the edges are bubbling vigorously, the cheese on top is melted with golden-brown spots and the center is hot all the way through, about 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If the top browns before the center is hot, cover loosely with foil and bake a few minutes more.

Tips for the best result

• Squeeze the spinach until it is truly dry; leftover water makes the dip runny and greasy.
• Use artichokes packed in water, not marinated ones, so the flavor stays clean and the dip is not oily.
• Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for 30 minutes so the base mixes smooth with no lumps.
• Grate the Parmesan yourself from a wedge or buy freshly grated Parmesan from the deli case; it melts better than the shelf-stable kind.

Variations and substitutions

• Fresh spinach: wilt 1 lb (450 g) fresh spinach in a skillet, cool, squeeze dry and chop.
• Bacon: fold in 4 slices of crisp crumbled bacon.
• Spicy: add 1 diced pickled jalapeño and a few dashes of hot sauce.
• Slow cooker: mix everything (including the topping cheese) in a small slow cooker and cook on low 2 hours, stirring once; keep on warm for the party.
• Bread bowl: bake the dip, then spoon it into a hollowed sourdough round and serve with the bread cubes.
• Lighter: use Neufchâtel cheese and replace the sour cream and mayonnaise with 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt.

Make ahead

Assemble the dip in the baking dish, without baking, up to 24 hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. When ready, uncover and bake straight from the refrigerator, adding 5–10 minutes to the baking time.

Storage and reheating

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven 12–15 minutes, until hot and bubbly, or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Freezing is not recommended, because the dairy turns grainy when thawed.