Description
Ina Garten’s warm spinach and artichoke dip delivers creamy comfort with Mediterranean flair. Mediterranean herbs and tangy cheeses meld perfectly, creating an irresistible appetizer guests will devour at first bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1 (9 oz / 255g) package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
- 1 (10 oz / 285g) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
Dairy and Cheese:
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (115g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) sour cream
- ½ cup (120ml) good mayonnaise (such as Hellmann’s)
- 1¼ cups (120g) freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, divided
Oils, Spices, and Bread:
- ¼ cup (60ml) good olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 baguette, sliced diagonally ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, toasted, for serving
Instructions
- Warm the oven to a toasty 400°F (200°C), ensuring an ideal baking environment for the upcoming culinary creation.
- Transform onions into delicate half-rounds by slicing them precisely, yielding approximately of uniform pieces. In a generously sized 12-inch sauté pan, meld butter and oil over medium temperature. Introduce onions, cayenne, salt, and black pepper, allowing them to dance and soften for 10 minutes. Gently reduce heat to medium-low, continuing the caramelization process for an additional 20 minutes with occasional stirring. In the final moments, incorporate minced garlic and cook for one fleeting minute.
- Utilize an electric mixer with paddle attachment to seamlessly blend cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until achieving a silky, uniform consistency.
- Carefully drain artichoke hearts, chopping them into rustic pieces before folding into the creamy mixture. Similarly handle spinach, removing excess moisture and integrating gently.
- Marry the caramelized onion mixture with the cream cheese base. Incorporate of Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper, stirring until ingredients harmonize perfectly.
- Transfer the luxurious blend into an 11 × 8 × 1½-inch (28 × 20 × 4 centimeters) oval baking dish, crowning the surface with remaining of Parmesan cheese.
- Slide the dish into the preheated oven, allowing 20-25 minutes of transformative baking until edges turn golden and edges bubble enticingly. Serve immediately alongside crisp, toasted baguette slices for an irresistible appetizer experience.
Notes
- Elevate Flavor through Slow-Cooked Caramelization: Gently transform onions into a deep golden-brown treasure, releasing their natural sweetness and adding complex depth to every creamy bite.
- Master Moisture Control with Precise Draining: Ruthlessly squeeze every drop of excess liquid from spinach and artichokes, ensuring a thick, luxurious dip that won’t disappoint at your gathering.
- Unlock Smooth Blending with Temperature Precision: Allow cream cheese to relax at room temperature, guaranteeing a silky-smooth mixture that spreads like a dream and incorporates ingredients effortlessly.
- Preserve Textural Integrity with Delicate Handling: Fold ingredients with a light touch, respecting the delicate chunks of artichokes and spinach that provide delightful bursts of flavor in each spoonful.
- Create Irresistible Golden Perfection through Strategic Baking: Watch for those tempting golden edges and bubbling surfaces that signal a perfectly cooked dip, promising a crispy exterior and molten interior.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 60mg