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Roasted garlic spinach dip with Christmas tree chips

Roasted Garlic Spinach Dip

Spinach dip is a crowd-pleasure for sure. It’s straightforward and cheesy, and the spinach addition helps us trick ourselves into thinking it’s sort of healthy. This recipe turns it up a notch by adding a bunch of roasted garlic to the mix. It’s perfect for parties, potlucks, or just pampering yourself after a long week.


Your grocery list

Produce

  • Fresh garlic (to be roasted and cooled slightly before adding to this recipe)

Dairy

  • Cream cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Mozzarella cheese

Pantry Items & Seasoning

  • Kosher or sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • Panko or homemade bread crumbs

Frozen Section

  • Frozen spinach (or fresh spinach cooked down to 10 ounces-worth)

Equipment/tools you’ll need

  • Mixing bowl
  • Hand or stand mixer (a whisk or spatula will work if an electric mixer isn’t available)
  • Nonstick spray
  • Small baking dish or cast iron skillet

Tips and things to consider when making spinach dip

Use room-temperature cream cheese and sour cream

These ingredients can be thick and hard to combine with the other components when they are cold. The warmer, the easier it will be to whip up a smooth, creamy dip.

Shred the cheese yourself

Cheese just melts so much easier when it’s shredded from the block right at home. It might take a few more minutes, but it’s worth it every time for me. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent which keeps it from clumping together in the bag, but it gets a little weird when you want to melt the cheese.

Go ahead and use frozen spinach

Using frozen spinach will save you time and you won’t notice any difference in the final dish. Frozen spinach (that has been thawed and squeezed to remove the excess liquid) is actually my preference when making this dip. It’s already cooked down. Using fresh spinach is an option. Just be aware that it will take a lot more fresh spinach than you think to cook it down to 10 ounces.

To get rid of the excess liquid: Place thawed spinach in a clean, dry towel and squeeze repeatedly until there is barely any liquid is left.

Roast your garlic ahead of time

This recipe calls for roasted garlic to help boost the flavor of the dip. Roasting garlic is a simple process, but it does take some time and forethought so here’s a recipe to walk you through that. If you don’t have the time, you can still make this dip with 2-3 fresh minced garlic cloves or 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder.

Taste, taste, taste!

Everybody’s tastebuds are different and because most people don’t really measure when they make a dip, the results may vary. That’s okay! This dip doesn’t contain any eggs or other ingredients that can’t be eaten raw. Feel free to taste after each addition to see if it was enough. If you ever accidentally add too much salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc., adding more cream cheese or sour cream will help balance the dip.

roasted garlic spinach dip pinterest image

Switch it up

Add more vegetables

Consider adding even more vegetables to this dip. Artichokes, asparagus, and steamed broccoli are delicious choices. If the vegetable needs to be more tender, steam it before cutting it into small pieces and adding it to the dip. They don’t have to be completely cooked (just to your liking). (1) They are vegetables and can be eaten raw and (2) they will cook a bit more in the oven.

Spice it up

Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and add pepper jack cheese to the mix.

Make it lighter

Use lighter-fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream or Greek yogurt. The dip won’t lose any of its flavors, just a bit of the indulgent creaminess.

Try out different cheeses

Mozzarella and parmesan are my go-to’s, but Colby jack and Monterey jack work well too. Really, whatever cheese you have will probably work, so don’t be afraid to experiment!


Roasted garlic spinach dip with Christmas tree chips

Roasted Garlic Spinach Dip

Spinach dip is a classic dip and appetizer with creamy, comforting flavors and lots of cheese. This recipe includes roasted garlic for another layer of deliciousness.
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Course: Appetizer
Keyword: Dip, Spinach
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Time Needed To Roast Garlic: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lena B.
Cost: $15
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Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Hand or stand mixer (a whisk or spatula will work if an electric mixer isn’t available)
  • Nonstick spray
  • Small baking dish or cast iron skillet

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 3-4 cloves roasted garlic
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
  • ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping, shredded
  • 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, excess liquid removed, and chopped
  • panko or homemade breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 357 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Thaw the spinach and squeeze as much water out as you can. Set aside to continue to drain/dry out.
  • In a bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream until smooth with no large clumps. Use a hand or stand mixer, if necessary. Add all of the other ingredients and stir to combine. Chop up the spinach until it’s fine. The reason I recommend chopping it is because the spinach stems get stringy in the dip if you leave them whole. Even with pre chopped frozen spinach.
  • Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and transfer mixture to the dish. Spread it into an even layer with a spatula. Top with extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If breadcrumbs are browning too quickly, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil.
  • Serve with chips, fresh vegetables, baguette slices, etc.

Notes

  • I’d recommend chopping up the spinach before adding it to the dip, especially if you are mixing by hand. The spinach tends to be stringy if you leave it whole.
  • Cream cheese + sour cream can be substituted for greek yogurt + light sour cream for a lighter dip that can be enjoyed cold.

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