Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip – Cheesy, creamy and loaded with chunks of artichoke hearts, earthy spinach, garlic and sweet onion. Serve with your favorite toasted baguette slices, crackers or chips for a memorable appetizer hearty enough to feed a hungry crowd – with easy make ahead directions too!

This legendary hot dip has reached hero status over the years and it’s easy to understand why. It’s practically a classic and often referred to as the most popular appetizer of all time. It’s not surprising that you can find some variation of this dip on most restaurant menus. Some recipes include spinach and some do not.  We say yes please to the spinach!  Some popular recipes are blended until smooth, others are chunky like our version here. The artichokes are chopped but end up tender after being baked in all this cheesy goodness.

If there’s one thing hard about this dip, it’s waiting until it cools enough to take a bite 🙂 Don’t be like me and burn the roof of your mouth. While it may be worth it in the moment, the few days following are not – haha.

With easy make-ahead directions, our Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip will be a welcome addition to your New Year’s Eve celebration, football party or even when you’re hanging around the house for the weekend. I bet this hot cheesy Spinach and Artichoke dip is the first to disappear from all your gatherings!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip leftovers are the best!

You’ll to want to hide some of this amazing dip in the back of the refrigerator for leftovers. While it rewarms beautifully in the microwave for dipping, you can also create entire meals around this dip. Grab a few naan and some rotisserie chicken to make easy weeknight spinach and artichoke chicken pizzas. Have you ever tried this wonderful concoction on a grilled cheese sandwich? Oh yes, grilled cheese is a must! This dip is also incredible in Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken like this gorgeous recipe from Cafe Delites. And finally, grab a loaf of Italian Bread, pull out some of the fluffy middle and fill it with this Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Slice it up and serve! Check out this easy recipe for Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread from The View from Great Island.

I love the extra spice that comes from the cayenne, hot sauce and red pepper flakes in our recipe. The dip is also delicious with a southwestern flare from chopped jalapeños or a can of diced green chiles too. If you can’t find frozen artichoke hearts, feel free to substitute canned, drained artichoke hearts. You may want to omit the salt in the recipe if the artichokes are stored in a brine. Be sure to taste before adding additional salt!

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Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion grated
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature, chopped into small pieces
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 9-ounce boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped
• 1 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese divided
• 6 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella divided
• juice of 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon
• 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes or until flour starts to turn a light golden brown. Slowly add the half-and-half and then the cream cheese chunks. Cook and stir until the sauce is slightly thickened.
3. Remove from the heat and add the artichokes, 1 cup of the Parmesan, about 3/4ths of the mozzarella, lemon juice, hot sauce, cayenne, spinach and salt. Stir until well combined.
4. Smooth the dip into an even layer in the skillet or scoop into a lightly greased casserole pan. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, shredded mozzarella and the red pepper flakes. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes then serve with chips or bread.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute 2 cans of artichoke hearts for the frozen. Be sure to omit the salt in this recipe and drain very well.

Make Ahead: Cover and refrigerate the mixture before baking for up to 24 hours. Allow the dip to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. Cover with foil, bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake about 15 minutes (or until bubbly) then top with the remaining cheese and bake until golden brown and heated through, about 10 minutes longer.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

If you love hot bubbly dips as much as we do, don’t miss our family favorite Spicy Southwestern Spinach Dip. Another party favorite is our super easy to put together and delicious Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups Appetizers. We truly love party food!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia