Caesar Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Try this Caesar Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Caesar Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe, or contribute your own.
- 8 oz 1/3 less-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup gluten-free caesar dressing (i use primal kitchen)
- 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach thawed and excess water squeezed out
- 1/4 teaspoon homemade seasoned salt (see note)
- 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- serve with: crackers tortilla chips, crudite, gf crostini (see note)
- Carbohydrate 13.607771088 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.4664085097 g
- Fiber 10.4893236821811 g
- Protein 11.3681587631 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (510g)
- Sodium 912.85464382 mg
- Sugar 3.11844740581894 g
- Trans Fat 2.4664085097 g
- Calories 96 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- To a large bowl add cream cheese, Caesar dressing, artichoke hearts, chopped spinach, and seasoned salt then mix to combine.
- Add 1 cup shredded cheese then mix to combine.
- Scoop and spread mixture into a 2 quart baking dish then top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
- Cover baking dish with foil then bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil then bake for 7-10 more minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly - hit the dip with a blast from the broiler if it's taking too long.
- Serve with crostini, tortilla chips, or crudite.
Standard ingredient lists omit the physical resistance offered by cold dairy. Softening cream cheese to room temperature prevents lumps from forming when blended with bottled Caesar dressing. Thoroughly squeezing thawed spinach removes excess water that would otherwise liquefy the dairy matrix during baking. Artichoke hearts require a firm press against paper towels after draining to eliminate surface moisture that dilutes the final texture.
Baking requires precise thermal control. Covering the two-quart baking dish with foil for the first twenty minutes traps steam, heating the interior evenly before the surface browns. Removing the foil allows moisture to escape while the remaining mozzarella melts. Finishing the dish under a broiler requires constant attention because high heat burns dairy proteins within sixty seconds once the bubbling slows.
Assembling the components several hours ahead streamlines party preparation. Refrigerating the unbaked mixture in the dish requires adding five minutes to the initial covered baking phase. Freezing unbaked pans is not recommended because the emulsion in the dressing and cream cheese breaks upon thawing, resulting in a watery separation.
