Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Comté
With creamy spinach and artichokes, and a melted cap of Comté cheese, this is the ULTIMATE dip and is always a huge hit! It’s elegant enough for special occasions or holidays, and yet laid-back enough for casual parties or potlucks. Best of all, it can be assembled ahead of time and then baked off right before your guests arrive! You can use 10- or 11-ounces of spinach, depending on the package size you buy (you can either use two 5-ounce containers or one large 10- to 11-ounce container). It looks like a ton of spinach, but it cooks down considerably (be sure to drain the spinach after cooking to remove the water). Serve the dip with crackers, vegetables and/or toasted baguette slices (to toast the bread slices, brush them lightly with olive oil, then bake them in a 375 degree oven until golden, about 6-10 minutes). Serve the dip warm, and watch it disappear!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- Butter for baking dish
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 10-11 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups)
- 1 14- ounce can whole artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pinch grated nutmeg
- 6 ounces Comté cheese, shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
- Toasted baguette slices and/or crackers (regular or gluten-free), for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 1-quart baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and light golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add about half of the spinach and cook until wilted, then add the remaining spinach. Cook until all of the spinach is wilted (it will take about 4 to 5 minutes total). Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the mixture into a large strainer or colander and let cool slightly. Using paper towels, press firmly on the spinach to remove any excess liquid.
- Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl, and add the artichoke hearts, cream cheese, creme fraiche, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, grated nutmeg and half of the Comté. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Comté over top (at this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day). Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with baguette slices and/or crackers.
Notes
Do Ahead: Once assembled (before baking), the dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Leftover dip can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat it before serving.
Tips:
- The dip gets baked in a 1 quart baking dish. I use this dish, but any small shallow dish will do (you could even use an 8-inch cast iron skillet).
- It’s important to squeeze the liquid out of the spinach after it cooks (otherwise the dip will be watery). Scrape the cooked spinach mixture into a strainer or colander, let it cool slightly, then use paper towels to press firmly, squeezing out the liquid. Check out the video above to see how I do it!
- You can find Comté at grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Wegman’s and even Costco, as well as at specialty cheese shops. While any age of Comté will work in this recipe, I prefer something in the 8- to 12-month range. It will melt beautifully but still have lots of flavor. If you can’t find Comté, try a mild Gruyere instead.
Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!