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Learn to make spinach artichoke dip — the cheffy way.
Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with veggies, spinach artichoke dip is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Most homemade versions are made with cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, but the spinach artichoke dip served at most restaurants is prepared differently. Restaurant chefs typically use a Mornay sauce, or béchamel sauce with cheese added, to bind and flavor the dip. It sounds French and fancy, but it’s the same easy sauce used to make homemade macaroni and cheese and some versions of creamed spinach. The restaurant method does not require baking — the dip is made entirely on the stovetop — so it’s actually a bit faster than the home-style version, and I think it results in a much more delicious dip.
What You’ll Need To Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
The recipe calls for canned artichoke hearts, which makes the recipe easy. They are packed in water with salt and citric acid, so they need to be rinsed very well, drained, and then blotted dry with a paper towel. If you add them directly to the dip without first rinsing them, they will give the dip an off flavor.
Similarly, the recipe calls for frozen chopped spinach. Before adding it to the sauce, it should be thawed and squeezed as dry as possible. Excess liquid will dilute the flavor and creaminess of the dip.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Do not brown.
Add the flour.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Pour in the half & half.
Add spinach and artichokes.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and thickened, about 2 minutes.
Add the Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, and pepper.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the hot dip to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
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Restaurant-Style Spinach Artichoke Dip
Learn to make spinach artichoke dip — the cheffy way.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups half & half
- 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed well, chopped, and blotted dry with paper towels (see note)
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar (or whole milk mozzarella or Gruyere)
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Do not brown. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour in the half & half, and then add the spinach and artichokes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
- Note: Canned artichokes are packed in water with salt and citric acid, so they need to be rinsed very well, drained, and then blotted dry with a paper towel before using. If you add them directly to the dip without first rinsing them, they will give the dip an off flavor.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The dip can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a bit more half & half to thin the dip, if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (Does not include chips – 6 servings)
- Calories: 285
- Fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Sodium: 496 mg
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.