Who doesn't love spinach and artichoke dip? It's such a classic. How about making it with fresh artichokes and fresh spinach!? It makes such a difference!
Using fresh artichokes and spinach adds a bit of "fancy" to this popular dip without a lot of sacrifice in effort. Yes, you'll need to cook the artichokes and spinach first, but the little bit of extra time is worth it.
I've always loved this dip, but I definitely wanted to try it with fresh artichokes and spinach. Using fresh spinach seemed pretty easy, but fresh artichokes seemed like a bigger challenge. I recently received these artichokes from Melissa's Produce that I needed play with and I decided to finally use them in this appetizer... and it turned out to be a great decision!
About Artichokes:
Did you know that artichokes were banned in New York City for a short period of time? Something to do with extortion and money laundering by a mobster. It didn't last because the mayor couldn't resist enjoying artichokes.
Artichokes have roots in the Mediterranean, especially Italy. In the U.S. artichokes are grown in California. Castroville in Monterey County actually holds an artichoke festival every May.
Roasted artichoke hearts are excellent on Pizza alla Siciliana.
Ingredients You Will Need:
Fresh Artichokes: You will need the hearts from about four or five good sized artichokes. I cooked the whole artichokes by boiling them. Don't let cooking artichokes indimidate you. Just trim the stem and the top and simmer them, covered, in salted water for about 20 to 25 minutes. Don't worry about them being fully submerged. Drain the artichokes upside down.
At this point, you can enjoy the artichoke leaves with your favorite buttery or creamy dip and then save the hearts to make this dip.
P.S. Melissa's also sells 5-Minute Artichokes that are microwavable and super convenient. Keep an eye out for them in your grocery store. They make serving artichokes easy peasy. Even easier, they sell packaged steamed artichoke hearts.
Be sure to try white bean and artichoke heart dip too!
Spinach: You will need a large bunch of fresh spinach, about 10 ounces. To cook the spinach just saute it in a little olive oil. Add a chopped jalapeno and chopped garlic to the olive oil to add more flavor. When done, squeeze out any extra liquid from the spinach with a paper towel.
From the Fridge: Sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese.
Garlic: You will need minced garlic.
Jalapeño: This is optional, but I enjoy the little bit of heat that it adds. Sauté it for a few minutes with the spinach.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and crushed red peppers.
Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan. Save about 1/4 of it for topping the dip before baking.
To Make This Artichoke and Spinach Dip:
First, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, the artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, jalapeño, salt and pepper, and 3/4 of the Parmesan.
Next, spread it in a serving dish, about 8 inch by 8 inch, or equivalent, about one quart (I used a rectangular dish), and then sprinkle the top with the rest of the Parmesan.
Finally, bake the mixture in a 350 degree F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips, bagel chips, pita chips, crusty bread, or even crudité!
Recipe Variations:
If you don't have fresh artichokes, you can use jarred artichoke hearts. You will need a large jar, about 14 ounces.
You can also use thawed frozen spinach, about 1/2 cup. Just defrost it and then squeeze out as much of the water that you can.
For an extra cheesy dip, sprinkle the top with some freshly grated mozzarella or Gruyère cheese.
Make-Ahead:
You can prepare this dip up to the point of baking it and then keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two before baking.
Leftovers:
If you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the microwave or in a 350 degree F oven.
Sunday Funday - Elegant Appetizers for Mom:
Get ready for Mother's Day with these wonderful tasty treats.
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Blini with Caviar (our Host Kitchen)
- Amy's Cooking Adventures: Crackers with Salami & Pepperoni Rosettes
- Sneha's Recipe: Crumb Coated Cheesy Veg Crepes
- Karen's Kitchen Stories: Fresh Artichoke and Spinach Dip
- Making Miracles: Parmesan Bread Bites
- Culinary Cam : Roasted Carrot Tarte Tatin
- Sid's Sea Palm Cooking : Smoked Salmon Blini
- Mayuri's Jikoni: Sweet Potato Brie Bites
Fresh Artichoke and Spinach Dip
Who doesn't love spinach artichoke dip? It's such a classic. How about making it with fresh artichokes and fresh spinach!? It makes such a difference!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Chopped freshly cooked artichoke hearts from 4 to 5 artichokes (see post about cooking the artichokes)
- Cooked, chopped, and drained spinach from a big bunch of fresh spinach (about 10 ounces)
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, plus 3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped, and cooked with the spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a smallish (about 8 inch by 8 inch or equivalent/1 quart) baking dish with spray oil. My dish was 7 inch by 9 inch.
- Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese together in a medium large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
- Add the artichoke hearts and spinach jalapeño and garlic mixture. Stir.
- Add the pepper, crushed red pepper, and salt. You may not need any salt due to the Parmesan.
- Mix everything together, top with reserved Parm, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
222Fat (grams)
21 gSat. Fat (grams)
9 gCarbs (grams)
3 gFiber (grams)
0 gNet carbs
3 gSugar (grams)
1 gProtein (grams)
5 gCholesterol (grams)
43 mg