Spinach artichoke dip is like the clean-up hitter of appetizers: it’s a guaranteed home run because pretty much everyone loves the stuff. What makes it so darn good? It’s full of butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parm, so it’s a creamy, ooey-gooey, melty cheese pull. Only the tangy, sweet artichokes and tender spinach keep it from being fondue. And in this version, we’ve added lemon juice and a few dashes of Tabasco — they cut through all that cream and give the dish extra vibrancy and depth.

Spinach-artichoke dip is a versatile player, too. You can use it as a dip for your favorite veggies, crackers, or potato chips. But it’s also wonderful scattered over a pizza, tucked into an omelet, or swirled through pasta like a creamy sauce. Spread on a bagel with lox? We would most definitely do that.

Our tip: If you want the cheese pull, make sure to serve the dip hot. If you’re feeling super fancy, you can put it in a sourdough bread bowl and broil it for a minute or two, so the top gets bubbly and golden.

Yield: 3 ½ cups

Ingredients You'll Need:

1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 tsp paprika

14 oz canned artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup heavy cream

1 ¼ tsp kosher salt

¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup mozzarella, grated

¼ cup Parmesan, grated

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Tabasco Sauce, to taste

How to Make Our Classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1. Put the spinach in a fine strainer and let it drain until you need it. Just before using, press any excess water out of it with a wooden spoon.

2. Melt the unsalted butter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, and then sauté the shallot until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring every now and then, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cream cheese has fully integrated and the veggies are warmed through.

5. Fold in the mozzarella and Parmesan and cook until melted.

6. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and 5 to 6 dashes of Tabasco Sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from: Epicurious

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