A few weeks ago, my book club met before dinner, drinking wine and nibbling on dips like this Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip.
A great addition to the usual cheese and crackers, it’s a delicious appetizer or centerpiece surrounded by crackers, baguette slices and raw veggies.
Vary the ingredients to suit your taste:
Use lower fat versions of the cheeses or substitute greek yogurt for sour cream.
Thaw spinach overnight and squeeze out the moisture before adding to dip.
Prep in fifteen minutes and bake for about thirty minutes.
For a milder dip, cut back or leave out the jalepeno and red pepper flakes.
Make it warm or cold, spicy or mild but make this dip!
I used an electric mixer but you can also mix ingredients by hand.
This dip is fun to serve in two smaller serving containers instead of one big one.
Prepare dip ahead of time and either bake right away or refrigerate until you are ready to bake and serve.
Get creative with chips and veggies!
You can even transfer the cooked dip to a colorful hollowed out vegetable like this red pepper for a stunning presentation.
Instead of pita chips, I used some yummy gluten free crackers, Wasa crackers cut into triangles and some barbecued potato chips.
Thinly sliced celery sticks, pepper strips and baby carrots offer a healthy crunch.
Dig into Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip.
An easy and classic, year round all star dip to add pizzazz to any occasion!
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Rate and comment below or email dana@diginwithdana.com anytime.
PrintSpicy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 15 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Chock full of creamy spinach and artichokes, this baked dip gets a double kick of spice from diced jalepenos and red pepper flakes. For a heartier dip, add shredded chicken or flaked crab.
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1/2 cup sour cream or full fat greek yogurt
- 4 oz whipped cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 – 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
- 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
- kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 or 2 small size oven safe baking dishes.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, chopped jalepenos ( if using), garlic and crushed red pepper.
- Add in well drained spinach and artichoke hearts and blend well. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish and smooth top with a spatula.
- Bake 20- 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and dip is bubbling. For an extra crispy, browned top, broil for 3-5 additional minutes.
- Serve warm with crackers, pita, tortilla or potato chips, bread sticks or slices of French baguette. Or serve with raw vegetables like carrots and celery.
- Lasts up to five days in the refrigerator.
Always the first dip devoured at family gatherings!
★★★★★