Bubbling and golden, this Creamy Spinach Dip is best paired with a loaf of crusty bread—and good company.
I do a lot of entertaining at my place. Sometimes I go the fancy route and start the evening off with bubbles and canapés before serving a six-course feast that includes a sumptuous cheese course and ends with coffee, chocolates, and liqueurs. Most of the time, however, friends stop by unexpectedly and end up staying for lunch or dinner. While more elaborate gatherings may require weeks of planning, these impromptu occasions call for easy dishes that I can practically make in my sleep.
Take this creamy spinach dip, for example. After steaming and chopping the spinach, it’s just a matter of a little mixing, transferring the mixture to an oven dish, and baking it until gloriously bubbling. With a loaf of crusty sourdough bread for dipping, a well-dressed green salad or a plate of crisp crudités for that much-needed refreshing contrast, a bottle of chilled white wine, and fresh fruit for dessert, this is a convivial meal that is both fuss-free and delicious. Plus, with its gooey, cheesy goodness and decadently creamy consistency, this dip is always a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Of course, you can also serve it as a starter or as part of a game-day spread with dippers such as crackers or corn chips.
Delicious variations
You can tweak this creamy spinach dip recipe to suit any of your dietary or taste preferences. Here are a few ideas.
- Vegan spinach dip: Swap out the dairy products for vegan replacements. There are plenty of excellent options available these days. Yes, there are even cheeses that melt just like the real deal!
- Spinach and bacon dip: The addition of bacon is always a welcome ingredient for many people. Just fry up some bacon bits and mix them into the dip before you bake it. Then, top with more crispy bacon!
- Spicy spinach dip: You can make this dip spicy by incorporating chili flakes, chili powder, your favorite hot sauce, or an array of chopped peppers, like jalapeños or serrano peppers.
- Greek spinach dip: Make your creamy spinach dip as directed, but mix in chopped artichoke hearts and crumbled feta cheese. You can also substitute the sour cream for Greek yogurt for an authentic Greek dip.
Serving suggestions
Nothing beats serving this creamy dip with homemade bread. I am especially partial to presenting it with a rustic loaf of Sourdough Bread for guests to unceremoniously tear into, but sometimes I’ll also bring out a basket of warm and irresistibly fragrant Garlic Breadsticks. For a fancier offering, pair it with this savory Olive Bread.
Creamy Spinach Dip
Ingredients
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Steam the spinach until it is wilted. Allow to cool and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop the spinach.
- In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, chopped spinach, garlic, salt, pepper, half of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Transfer the mixture into an oven-safe dish, then sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Pop it into the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the top is bubbling and browned.
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