hot tuscan spinach dip
I most certainly could not ignore the upcoming Super Bowl and it’s culinary requirements.
Interestingly, my scheduled half marathon falls on Super Bowl Sunday, which doubles the excuse to indulge in a bevy of festive football snacks come game-ish time. I write it that way because I near always pass out during the Big Game itself, from normal fatigue or an overfull stomach or a combination of both.
And honestly, because today is today (it’s Monday right now), comfort food felt especially appropriate. Some of us may cry our feelings out, some of us may eat them away, some of us still might do both while staring into whichever void our eyes lay upon.
Tuscan Spinach Dip is simple, quick, and tastes so ridiculously savory and tempting that you’ll return time after time for another swipe. Exactly what I’m doing while I multitask with a half dozen little chores this afternoon. Rich and creamy, cheesy and gooey, perfect with toasted ciabatta or baguette and certainly something you’ll want to keep in your repertoire for these final few gamedays of the football season.
Tus-can, Not Tus-can’t
Few steps involved with this bad boy, and few ingredients. Mostly various types of dairy.
First, whip up a block of cream cheese with some plain Greek yogurt (sour cream is fine too) until smooth. I recommend softening the cream cheese on the counter for a bit to make the process more quick.
Next, drain out a jar of sun dried tomatoes and, if they’re large, chop into slightly smaller pieces. Thaw a bag of frozen spinach and squeeze out excess moisture with paper towels or a clean towel you don’t give much of a shit about.
Fold those components into the cream cheese mix with minced garlic, oregano, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Reserve some of the shredded cheese – you’ll need it in a second.
Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle that reserved cheese overtop. If you’re prepping ahead of time, you can stop here, cover the baking dish, and refrigerate for a few days before baking. Otherwise, pop that sucker in the oven for 20 minutes or so at 425 degrees.
I always recommend toasty bread as a dip accompaniment. You can do crackers, too, and even carrots or celery might be okay. Or broccoli. Hmmm…Toast your bread however you’d like, but I prefer broiling a loaf of ciabatta slices for a couple minutes and using those slivers as my dippers.
Nothing to today’s recipe, except a lil mixing and a lotta nibbling. Perfect, as I can prove, when you’re flailing around the house with your hair on fire trying to get 50 tasks done at once. Wish me luck!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
My oh my what a dippety day:
Herb and Cheese Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Hot Baked Cheddar Bay Shrimp Dip
hot tuscan spinach dip
Ingredients
- 1 loaf baguette, sourdough, or ciabatta, sliced
- 8 oz plain cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 cups low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth and combined. With a spatula, fold in the sun dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, oregano, and half of each cheese.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden in spots and bubbly.
- Heat broiler to high. Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil. Toast 1-2 minutes per side until desired crispness is achieved. Serve with the hot dip.
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