Spinach artichoke dip is the hot dip that holds: cream cheese, Parmesan and mozzarella with spinach and artichokes, mixed the night before and heated in one foil pan. The only thing that ruins it is wet spinach, so squeeze it until your hands hurt.
At the lot: Heat it on the cool side of the grill with the lid down. Homegating: Bake it in the oven and serve it with chips and sliced baguette.
Home gear: a 9 × 13 in. foil pan with a lid or foil, and a clean kitchen towel for squeezing the spinach
20 MIN
At home, the night before
45 MIN
At the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Dip
- 2 blocks (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 cans (14 oz each) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
Serve
- 2 large bags tortilla chips or pita chips
- 1 baguette, sliced (optional)
Steps
At home
- Wring the thawed spinach in the towel until no more water comes out. Squeeze the chopped artichokes too. Wet vegetables make a watery dip.
- Stir the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, red pepper flakes and black pepper together until smooth. Fold in the Parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the spinach and the artichokes.
- Spread it in the foil pan and scatter the last ½ cup of mozzarella on top. Cover the pan tightly with foil and refrigerate it overnight, or up to 2 days.
At the lot
- Set up the grill for indirect heat at about 350°F. On charcoal, bank the coals on one side. On propane, light one side and leave the other off.
- Set the covered pan on the cool side and close the lid. Heat it 35 to 45 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the center reads 165°F.
- Take the foil off for the last 5 minutes so the mozzarella melts and bubbles.
- Serve it with the chips and bread. Keep the pan on the cool side with the lid down while people graze, so it stays at 140°F or above.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Squeeze the spinach: wring it dry in a towel before it goes in, or the dip weeps and turns loose on the grill.
- Watch the bottom: foil pans are thin. If the bottom starts to scorch, nest it in the second pan.
Can you make spinach artichoke dip ahead of time?
Yes. Mix it in the foil pan up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Heat it straight from the cooler at the lot until the center reaches 165°F.
How do you keep spinach artichoke dip hot at a tailgate?
Leave the pan on the cool side of the grill with the lid down, and put the second pan on when the first is half gone. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
How much spinach artichoke dip do you need for 20 people?
Make 2 pans: 4 blocks of cream cheese, 1 cup each of sour cream and mayonnaise, 2 cups of Parmesan, 3 cups of mozzarella, 2 packages of spinach and 4 cans of artichokes, plus 4 bags of chips. That feeds up to 24.
Can you use fresh spinach in spinach artichoke dip?
Yes. Wilt 1 lb of fresh spinach in a dry pan, let it cool, then chop it and squeeze it dry the same way as frozen.
Gear for this cook
Straight from the source, next on our cooking list. Beat us to it? Tell us how it went →
