Whenever we gather with friends and family, we make Easy Cheesy Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip. It's one of my favorite things to make because it's so simple to put together and it tastes so very good! The few times I've entertained without adding this hot dip to the menu, someone always asks why I didn't make it.
While I usually post easy recipes for two on this blog, I think this one will have to be an exception. It's so good that you'll want to share, or at least have extra for yourself!
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Ingredients:
2 - 6 ounce jars of artichoke hearts, chopped, rinsed, and drained well
1 - 8 ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese
1 - 8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 - 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
⅔ cup of milk
Directions:
- Rinse and drain the artichokes and spinach until it's almost dry. (Squeezing it through cheesecloth works great for this!)
- Cut the cheddar into one-inch cubes and place in a microwaveable bowl with the milk.
- Microwave the cheddar and milk mixture for 3 minutes, and then stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 1-minute increments until the mixture is smooth and without clumps.
- Add the artichokes, spinach, and half of the shredded cheese to the cheddar mixture and stir well. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little bit more milk in tiny amounts until you get the desired consistency.
- Pour into a baking dish and spread evenly.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
Can I Make Substitutions to Easy Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip?
Of course you can! One of the best things about making this dip is that you can substitute any type of cheese you want. I've used Velveeta, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, cheddar, and even some taco-seasoned cheese I had left in the refrigerator! It's super versatile and no matter what kind of cheese I use, easy cheesy spinach artichoke dip is always delicious!
Can I add other ingredients?
Sure! I've added things like lobster or crab meat (AMAZING!) and sometimes mushrooms, broccoli florets, or roasted red peppers to turn up the heat a little bit. It all depends on what kind of mood I'm in!
Can I use fresh instead of frozen spinach?
If you want to use fresh spinach, I suggest you cook it first with some olive oil and garlic. If it isn't cooked down before being added to the dip, it will add a lot of water when cooking and make your dip drippy.
Can I make Easy Cheesy Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip ahead of time?
You can make it ahead of time, but if you do that, you'll want to leave the remaining shredded cheese topping for when you bake it. If you bake and then store it, the top will get a little bit soggy.
What should I use to dip with?
You can use anything to dip with. Some of my favorite dippers are tortilla chips, corn chips, and regular potato chips and crackers. When I was dieting, I'd use veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and raw peppers to dip. As long as it's a strong dipper, it will work just fine!
What size baking dish should I use?
I usually use my Rachael Ray stoneware baking dish because it's the perfect size and shape. I also LOVE the handles that make it easy to take in and out of the oven. However, you can use any oven-safe dish that you'd like. A small baking dish works best - if you wanted to make a double batch I'd use two small dishes rather than one big one for best results.
Is Spinach Artichoke Dip Keto friendly?
It really depends on what you put in it. Artichokes, spinach, and cheese are relatively low carb. If you substituted the milk for heavy cream, you could probably make a lower carb version, but I'm not sure that it would be considered keto since each artichoke heart contains about 6 grams of carbs. Also, to make it even lower in carbs, you could shred your own cheese for the topping, since bagged shredded cheese tends to have anti-caking agents in it which add carbs as well.
Can Easy Cheesy Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip be frozen?
I wouldn't recommend freezing it after baking. If you were to put it all together and then freeze it, it would freeze well, depending on your choice of cheese. Then you'd simply pull it out of the freezer when ready and bake it. (Obviously, you'd need to adjust the baking time.)
However, if you chose to substitute soft cheese like cream cheese it may not work well. Softer cheese may break down when heated after being frozen.
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