Everyone needs a great go-to party dip, something that’s sure to please a crowd and easy to prep!! Here you have it, friends- my baked Spinach Artichoke & Sun-dried Tomato Dip is comin’ in HOT! I adore a good spinach and artichoke dip and have been meaning to add my own version to the blog for a while. Since it's the holiday season- AKA prime time for all baked dips- I figured now would be the best opportunity to debut this glorious and easy recipe! I am not a nutritionist and I do not follow any one particular diet, but if you've been following me for a while you will probably notice that I like to streamline classic recipes, cutting back on the "naughty" stuff and amping the "good" stuff when I can. I've done that here with a spinach dip that is mayo free but still rich and decadent. This is not health food, but it is a little lighter and cleaner than most versions! To start, Tangy goat cheese gets whipped with cream cheese and parmesan in a food processor to create a creamy and slightly tangy base. It is very important to have your cheeses at room temperature or they won't combine properly in the food processor- pull them out of the fridge a couple hours in advance to soften. Next, thawed frozen spinach, chopped artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and some other yummies get pulsed into the cheese base until just incorporated (you don't want these ingredients pureed too finely, so just pulse a few times and then use a spatula to evenly fold in the rest). I alternately call this my "tricolore dip"- it's colors (white and green flecked with red) reference the Italian flag, but these are also the colors of Christmas time, making this dip a perfect holiday appetizer! Serve the baked dish hot and bubbly with some flatbread, crackers, and/or crudités. I love to bake mine in a pie dish for a festive look, but a greased 8" square baking dish will work as well. Feel free to prepare this unbaked up to 24 hours ahead of time- just wrap with plastic and chill until it's party time! Happy dipping!
prep time: 15 min. cook time: 15 min. serves: 8-10
INGREDIENTS
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
8 oz plain goat cheese, at room temperature
½ cup parmesan cheese, plus 2 tbsp
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
5 dashes hot sauce, such as tabasco (or to taste)
1-10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed and wrung out to remove excess water
½ cup chopped drained artichoke hearts
½ cup chopped drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
2 large scallions, light green and white parts only, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400° and grease an 8” square baking dish or pie dish. Place the cream cheese, goat cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper and hot sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the ingredients together until well blended. Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, and basil and pulse until just combined (you still want to have a little texture, use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and mix those last few bits in). Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth out in an even layer. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese on top. Pop in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. If you would like to brown it a bit more on top, switch the oven to broil for the last minute of baking. Serve hot with crackers and/or crudités. *Can be assembled prior to baking up to 24 hrs in advance, wrapped in plastic and chilled.