Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
Stop settling for watery, flavorless dips. This homemade spinach artichoke dip is extra creamy, packed with garlic, and uses a skillet-sauté method to cook off excess moisture so it never separates in the oven. It’s a budget-friendly, cheesy crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for game day or holiday potlucks.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 5 ounces frozen spinach thawed, drained very well and chopped
- 1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts drained & chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese softened
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella plus more for topping
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Get ready:Turn your oven to 350°F now so it's hot when you need it.Grab a small baking dish - something around the size of a quart or maybe an 8x8 square if that's what you have. Give it a quick spray with nonstick cooking spray; you don't need a lot, just enough so the cheesy dip doesn't weld itself to the dish when it cools down.Get your ingredients ready.
- Cook the spinach:Melt the butter in your biggest skillet over medium heat. Toss in the spinach, artichokes, garlic, and all the seasonings. Stir it around and cook it until all the excess water is GONE.This is the most important step! If you leave the water in, your dip will be a greasy, separated mess. Take it off the heat when it's mostly dry, but don't burn anything.1 tablespoons butter, 5 ounces frozen spinach, 1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- Assemble the dip:Stir in the softened cream cheese, half of the mozzarella, and all that Parmesan until everything is melted together and looks smooth.Now, gently mix in the sour cream - just fold it in until combined.1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, ½ cup shredded mozzarella, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup sour cream
- Bake the dip:Dump the dip mixture into your prepared dish. Before you top it, don't smooth it out completely; leave some peaks and valleys - it looks nicer. Then, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.Get it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. You're looking for hot, bubbly goodness with just a little golden brown on the top edges. Pull it out the second it's ready, because overbaking will turn it from creamy to gritty rubber.
- Eat it now:Serve it while it's still very warm, just cooled enough so it doesn't burn your mouth.Grab some sturdy chips, veggie sticks, or those fancy little toasted bread slices if you're feeling extra, and get dipping!
Notes
- Make sure to sauté the vegetables until the excess moisture is gone, but not until they brown. This helps the dip to be creamier and helps to keep it from becoming watery or curdled in places.
- For serving, the dip looks best if you don’t smooth out the top completely when spreading it in the dish, but instead leave it a little textured before sprinkling with cheese. Also, not fully covering the dip with cheese helps to make it look interesting and recognizable.
- You want the dip to be bubbly, melty and hot all the way through, with the top just starting to turn golden in spots. If you bake it too long, the cheese on top may get too crispy and it will be harder to scoop the dip. Also, overbaking it can turn it from creamy to a little gritty.