5 Ingredients or Fewer

Extra-Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip

by:
December  4, 2018
4
27 Ratings
Extra-Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 25 minutes
  • Makes 1 batch
Author Notes

How to make classic spinach-artichoke dip even better? Use just as much cheddar as cream cheese, add a dollop of tangy Dijon, and broil right before serving for a bubbly, blistered crust. Oh, and crackers are a must—but you knew that already. —Emma Laperruque

Test Kitchen Notes

This is one of our Big Little Recipes. Read more here: This Extra-Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip Is Any Party’s Favorite Appetizer. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Extra-Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
  • 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
  • 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar, grated, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 2.5-quart, broiler-safe baking dish. (I used a 10.5 x 7.5-inch casserole dish.)
  2. Bundle the thawed spinach in a kitchen towel. Hold over the sink, a bowl, or garbage can. Squeeze into oblivion. When you think you’ve squeezed all there is to squeeze, squeeze one more time. Dump the spinach in a big mixing bowl. (Discard the liquid or save for future smoothies.)
  3. Wring out the towel to remove any excess moisture. Now bundle up the drained artichokes. Hold over the sink, a bowl, or garbage can and, this time, squeeze a little more gently. You want to get rid of extra water, but not totally smush the delicate artichoke hearts. (Discard the liquid.) Once they artichokes are dry, rough-chop them, then add to the bowl with the spinach.
  4. Add the cream cheese to the bowl. Use a spoon to mix until almost cohesive. Add all but 3/4 cup of the grated cheddar (that will go on top!) and mix again. Add the salt, pepper, and dijon and mix again. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  5. Transfer the spinach-artichoke dip to the buttered baking dish. Spread out so it fills the dish evenly. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheddar on top.
  6. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the interior of the dip is hot. Turn on the broiler. Broil for about 4 minutes until the top is beautifully browned.
  7. Serve hot with crackers.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • KarenSiena
    KarenSiena
  • Grace Wu
    Grace Wu
  • Gracie Shepard
    Gracie Shepard
  • samanthaalison
    samanthaalison
  • Patsy Conyer
    Patsy Conyer
Emma Laperruque
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

Popular on Food52

21 Reviews

KarenSiena
KarenSiena February 20, 2023
Add some mayo bc of dryness?
 
Grace W.
Grace W. May 1, 2022
I thought this was very good. I used Coastal cheddar, an aged British cheese. Like another reviewer said, it was drier than expected. I used a ricer to remove water from the spinach and may have removed too much, but the flavor was good. Brought it to a party and received compliments.
 
KarenSiena
KarenSiena February 20, 2023
Add some mayo? Use Gouda?
 
Suznwin
Suznwin December 29, 2021
I’m very disappointed in the finished product. Followed recipe to a T. Was hoping for something gooier but it was too dry. Perhaps some of the liquid I squeezed out was needed. I often make southern “Spinach Madeline” that is much better. Plan to eat this ourselves but not serving it NYE as planned.
 
Gracie S.
Gracie S. December 14, 2020
I think I'll leave out the step of squeezing liquid out over a garbage can - ugh.
 
crc532
crc532 December 15, 2020
Hi Gracie, squeezing it over a garbage can would be disgusting. I mentioned squeezing it in the sink. Just a hint from an old gardener friend of mine. Works much better. The spinach is very dry this way.
 
samanthaalison
samanthaalison February 8, 2020
This was tasty but I made it in a slightly wider pan (2.5 qt but probably more like 10x10 with shallow sides) and I thought it was too shallow, which reduced the "goo" factor that I was looking for here. I think if I made it again I'd put it in something more like a loaf pan.
 
Patsy C.
Patsy C. November 27, 2019
This looks delicious! Can you use fresh spinach / how much?
 
Emma L.
Emma L. November 27, 2019
Hi Patsy! Fresh spinach should work—just make sure you drain it well after cooking. I'd estimate starting with about 2 pounds fresh spinach (which should cook down to about 3 cups once drained).
 
Edna K.
Edna K. January 4, 2019
Can this be made ahead of time, like the day before and broil at the last minute? I’m trying to be time effective! It looks yummy.
 
Emma L.
Emma L. January 4, 2019
Hi Edna! You can make the dish through step #5 in advance. Then just bake and broil right before serving. Hope this helps!
 
Eoin K.
Eoin K. December 16, 2018
I think it's important to use white cheddar. I used sharp Vermont yellow and it does not look as good.
 
Crystal L.
Crystal L. July 11, 2021
sometime's sharper cheddar does not melt as well despite being so so tasty
 
Elizabeth
Elizabeth December 14, 2018
The recipe will not save on Pinterest, using either the toolbar button, or the button at the top of the recipe. What does save is a link to one of the items to purchase used in the recipe.
 
RubyHadley
RubyHadley December 13, 2018
Would it be possible to use frozen artichokes? I happen to have a bag in the freezer I'd love to use up. What would I need to do to them to make it work?
 
Jade D.
Jade D. December 14, 2018
I don’t see why you couldn’t use frozen artichokes...as long as you squeeze them out well.
 
Emma L.
Emma L. December 17, 2018
Frozen artichokes should work fine! Just thaw, then squeeze out to remove excess moisture.
 
crc532
crc532 December 9, 2018
crc532- Sorry, forgot to mention that you need to thaw the spinach first, then use the ricer to squeeze out all the water.
 
crc532
crc532 December 9, 2018
I have not made this yet, but if it was in front of me, I am sure I would eat the whole thing. This is just a helpful hint comment. When trying to squeeze all the water from frozen spinach, use a potato ricer over the sink. It will be drier than you can imagine. And so much easier than doing it in a towel. Makes quick work of a usually messy project.
 
Jenn
Jenn December 8, 2018
Easy, inexpensive to put together, and delicious. Definitely cheesier than your usual artichoke dip. Made it in a slightly larger pan, which worked fine. Also added some smoked cheddar I had in my fridge to the 3/4 cup of sharp cheddar on top. Try it with some sliced baguette, if you feel like accidentally eating half of a loaf of bread.
 
Roz S.
Roz S. November 26, 2020
Lol... accidentally eating the loaf..on purpose