Irish Pub Spinach and Artichoke Melt
Spinach and Artichoke Melt featuring a warm and comforting blend of flavors.
Spinach and Artichoke Melt featuring a warm and comforting blend of flavors.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- 1/2-3/4 cup milk (i used whole goat milk but whatever you have will be great)
- 1 ounce cream cheese
- 2 cups irish cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt + peper
- 2 cups fresh spinach (or 1/2 cup (about 5 ounces) frozen thawed)
- 1 (6.7 ounce) jar marinated artichokes chopped
- 8 slices sourdough or soda bread
- dijon mustard or irish mustard for spreading (optional)
- butter for spreading
- Carbohydrate 3.89773327056252 g
- Cholesterol 74.7469001057703 mg
- Fat 24.0727969910937 g
- Fiber 0.0874500005245209 g
- Protein 14.6254526174704 g
- Saturated Fat 15.1146837498943 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (71g)
- Sodium 394.325492296511 mg
- Sugar 3.810283270038 g
- Trans Fat 1.52540035629161 g
- Calories 289 calories
Step-by-step
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for another 30 seconds, then slowly pour in 1/2 cup of milk. Stir and cook one minute, if your paste gets too thick splash in more milk. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese and a pinch of salt + pepper. Stir until the cheeses are melted. Stir in the spinach + artichokes and cook over low heat until the spinach has wilted into the cheese.
- Heat a skillet (or griddle, etc) over medium-low heat. Butter the outsides of every bread slice. If desired, spread the insides of the bread with mustard and then spread a good amount (anywhere from 1-3 tablespoons) of the spinach and artichoke mixture on the inside (the non-buttered side) of each slice. Add your top piece of bread, buttered-side up.
- Place in the hot skillet and cook until each side is golden and crisp and cheese has melted, about 3-4 minutes per side. Plate, slice and EAT...with a large side of fresh fried potato chips. :)
Standard American bar-style spinach-artichoke dip is typically bound with mayonnaise and sour cream, then baked until bubbling. This Irish pub variant instead borrows technique from the classical French kitchen by building a mornay sauce foundation. Butter and flour cook together briefly to form a blond roux, which eliminates the raw starch taste before dairy is whisked into the pan. Whisking milk slowly into the flour paste prevents lump formation, ensuring a smooth emulsion when the cream cheese and aged cheddar are introduced.
Aged Irish cheddar brings sharper flavor profiles and lower moisture content than standard commercial mild cheddars. This lower moisture prevents the cheese sauce from breaking or releasing excess grease as it incorporates into the wilted spinach and marinated artichokes. Sourdough or traditional soda bread provides a sturdy exterior structure capable of holding the dense, rich filling without collapsing under heat.
Griddling the assembled sandwiches requires moderate heat, roughly medium-low, to allow the thermal energy to penetrate the thick filling before the exterior bread burns. Cooking each side for three to four minutes develops a golden, crisp crust via the Maillard reaction while guaranteeing the internal cheeses reach their melting point. Buttering the exterior bread rather than the pan ensures even fat distribution and consistent browning across the entire surface.
Preserving the textural contrast between the crunchy bread and the velvety interior depends entirely on immediate serving. Trapped steam from hot vegetables will soften the toasted crumb if sandwiches sit too long before eating. Using marinated artichokes that have been thoroughly drained prevents excess acid and oil from thinning out the thick cheese sauce during the mixing phase.
