This title is presumptuous, yes, but I’ll explain. I first ate spinach and artichoke dip at a five-star restaurant in the 80's just outside Washington D.C., with my grandparents. I was so nervous to try it all steamy and melty in a small iron skillet on a gold stand- it seemed completely exotic to my ten-year-old mind. (Also…spinach?!) My grandparents looked at me with hopeful faces, what else could I do? I ate it. I loved it. They were proud. A cannon moment.
Long story short, I made it until it tasted like the first time. And I get asked for this recipe every time someone eats it for their first time. Simple to make, it does NOT have cream cheese which keeps it light!
Make double if you expect to serve more than 6 people. Trust me.
Notes: Butter is unsalted. Mayo is Hellmann's. Sour Cream is Daisy.
THE BEST SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP
Ingredients: 10 ounces steam-in-bag chopped spinach or a box of frozen-thawed, 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (an Italian blend is fine too), 1/2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning, 2 tsp. Lawry's garlic salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 2-3 tbsp. butter cut into tiny cubes.
Serves 4-6.
1. Preheat/prep: Preheat oven to 375*. Remove thawed spinach from its box or bag and squeeze out all the liquid. Place in a large bowl. Drain artichokes, then chop into small pieces. Add these to the bowl.
2. Make dip: Add the sour cream, mayonnaise l, and parm into the bowl. Stir to combine well. Add in garlic salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, stir to mix-well. Stir in a small handful of shredded mozzarella.
3. Bake: Spoon into a baking dish in an even layer (8x8, 11x7, 9-inch round, or a cast iron skillet) Top with remaining mozzarella. Dot over the small cubes of butter. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer until bubbly. For a very burnished top turn up oven to broil. Crack the door and watch closely- cook for just a couple minutes. Serve with corn chips, toasty baguette slices, veggies, pita chips, or sturdy crackers.
MAKE AHEAD: assemble everything up to step 3. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days.
CROCKPOT/SLOW-COOKER: assemble in the base of a slow-cooker. Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1.