recipe: Spinach Artichoke Dip

Get your chips and crackers ready for my new favourite dip recipe!  A few weeks back, we attended a going away party hosted by our friends Kim and Rob.  Kim’s a great cook, and accordingly, she prepared a selection of delicious, one-bite appetizers.  David loved her mini caprese salad in grape tomato cups, but it was her spinach-artichoke dip that really made me swoon.  Who doesn’t love a good dip?  I sheepishly asked Kim for the recipe and she graciously agreed.  In addition to the recipe, I thought I’d share with you a list of different “dippers” that I’ve used at our catered events over the years.

 While almost everyone loves to dip potato chips, tortilla chips and crackers, there are many other delicious options to try, such as:

 ·        sliced apples or pears

·        steamed or roasted artichoke hearts

·        roasted, halved new potatoes

·        roasted, cubed pieces of sweet potato, butternut squash and/or parsnips

·        roasted broccoli or cauliflower (medium-sized florets)

·        steamed or roasted asparagus or fennel

·        cubes of artisan bread, such as raisin-walnut or potato-rosemary

·        skewered grapes, red or green

·        fried apple chips (available in bags in the produce section of most grocery stores)

·        crispy wonton wrappers
(cut each wrapper into 4 pieces – shallow fry in vegetable oil or lightly spritz with vegetable oil and bake)

·        flat pretzel crackers

·        mini meat or cheese ravioli, cooked

·        poached shrimp

·        sweet Italian sausage, cooked and sliced into half-inch discs

·        cubes of cooked ham

·        small cocktail onions

·        if you’re feeling REALLY indulgent… crisply-cooked bacon strips!

 Kim’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip

 ingredients

 ·        10 (ten) oz. package frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped

·        6 (six) oz. can artichoke hearts, thinly sliced and patted dry

·        1 (one) cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

·        ¾ (three-quarters) cup mayonnaise

·        ¾ (three-quarters) cup sour cream

·        Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

method

1.      Preheat oven to 425°F.

2.      In a large bowl, mix the spinach, artichokes, ¾ (three-quarters) cup of the parmigiano, mayonnaise, sour cream, ½ (half) tsp. salt, and ¾ (three-quarters) tsp. pepper.  

3.      Transfer to a one-quart (or slightly smaller) baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ (one-quarter) cup parmigiano.

4.      Bake on the middle rack until the top browns and the inside warms through, about 25 (twenty-five) minutes.

5.      Let cool slightly and serve with dippers.