Cook_s_Country_-_October_2019

16 COOK’S COUNTRY • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

SPINACH-ARTICHOKE DIP IS
an economical comfort food that eas-
ily feeds a crowd, making it an ideal
holiday appetizer. But all too often,
it’s overly cheesy and the spinach and
artichokes get lost in the mix. I set out
to create a more balanced version.
I started by making seven exist-
ing recipes. The fi nished dips ran the
gamut from thin to stodgy to grassy
to overwhelmingly cheesy. To achieve
what I sought—a smooth, creamy dip
that showcased bright spinach and
nutty artichokes—I’d have to make
some adjustments.
I began with some common ingredi-
ents: frozen spinach, canned artichokes,
Parmesan cheese, melty Monterey
Jack, a cream cheese/sour cream/
mayonnaise binder, and garlic. I mixed
everything together and baked it. The
resulting dip looked the part, but the
fl avor fell fl at. The biggest problem was
the fi brous and muddy-tasting frozen

spinach. For my next batch, I coarsely

chopped some fresh baby spinach and

sautéed it until it wilted. The resulting

dip had a cleaner spinach fl avor, and the

leaves kept a distinct but soft texture.

Canned artichokes had tough,

squeaky leaves and an overpoweringly

tangy and briny fl avor. Frozen arti-

chokes were dull, with mushy hearts

and leathery leaves, but jarred mari-

nated artichokes were tender and had

a subtle nutty fl avor accented by their

bright marinade, which we loved.

The hefty dose of Parmesan I was

using supplied the salty, savory back-

bone the dip needed, so it stayed. And

while Monterey Jack seemed like a

good choice to provide supple, melty

texture, it seized and became stringy as

it sat. The cheese turned my dip so stiff

that the chips I dipped in it felt as if

they were in danger of breaking. After

exploring several options, I settled

on an unlikely choice: gouda. This

cheese melted even more smoothly,

stayed creamy after it cooled, and had

a toasty sweetness that accentuated the

artichokes’ nuttiness.

Sour cream proved unnecessary;

using equal parts cream cheese and

mayonnaise provided the perfect bal-

ance of tart and creamy. The garlic

added a welcome punch. Lastly, black

pepper and cayenne added a kick to

off set the heavy richness.

My resulting dip was irresistibly

creamy and cheesy, with a promi-

nent spinach and artichoke presence.

I knew that the dip would be gracing

my holiday table, but I worried about

pulling it together on a busy Thanks-

giving morning. I tried mixing the dip

together and refrigerating it overnight;

thankfully, it still tasted great when

heated the next day. Now the only

worry I’ll have on Thanksgiving is

whether my guests will save room for

the turkey.

In most versions of this creamy party dip, the artichoke fl avor gets lost.

We set out to fi nd it. by Jessica Rudolph

SPINACH-ARTICHOKE DIP

Serves 10 to 12

You will need one 12-ounce jar of

marinated artichoke hearts to yield

the 1⅓ cups called for here. You can

substitute canned artichoke hearts

if you can’t fi nd marinated. If you

can fi nd only 5-ounce packages of

baby spinach, there’s no need to

buy a third package to make up the

extra ounce; just make the dip with

10 ounces. Use the large holes of a

box grater to shred the gouda and a

rasp-style grater to grate the Parme-

san. Serve with tortilla chips, crusty

bread, pita chips, or vegetables.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

11 ounces (11 cups) baby spinach,

chopped coarse

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

6 ounces gouda cheese,

shredded (1½ cups)

3 ounces Parmesan cheese,

grated (1½ cups)

11⁄3 cups marinated artichoke

hearts, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon pepper

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position
   and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil
   in 12-inch skillet over medium-high
   heat until shimmering. Add garlic and
   cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
   Add spinach, 1 handful at a time,
   allowing each to wilt slightly before
   adding next; cook until wilted and liq-
   uid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.


2. Off heat, add cream cheese and
   stir until melted and combined, about
   1 minute. Stir in gouda, Parmesan,
   artichokes, mayonnaise, pepper, and
   cayenne until combined. Transfer to
   2-quart baking dish and smooth top
   with rubber spatula.


3. Bake until spotty golden brown and
   bubbling around edges, about 22 min-
   utes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

At end of step 2, let dip cool com-

pletely, wrap in plastic wrap, and

refrigerate for up to 2 days. When

ready to serve, continue with step 3,

increasing baking time by 10 minutes.

Spinach-

Artichoke

Dip

Marinated Artichokes

Avoid artichoke

hearts that are

canned, jarred and

packed in water, or

frozen. For the best

results, use jarred

marinated artichoke

hearts, which are

packed in oil.

TO MAKE AHEAD