Baked Spinach Dip
Easy cheesy baked spinach dip is a popular hot appetizer perfect for the holidays, game day and parties, and is a crowd pleaser. Make it ahead so you only have to heat it up for the party or gathering!
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spinach frozen, defrosted for the dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ cup mozzarella cheese divided
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with spray cooking oil.
- Place the frozen spinach in a heatproof bowl. Defrost it using the defrost setting on a microwave, checking it about every minute and draining any excess water.
- Wrap spinach in a cheese-cloth or a thin kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible then place in a colander. Let it continue to drain in the colander. The spinach will stain the towel. See notes for more tips.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix together until smooth, you can use an electric mixer for this step or blend it by hand.
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth.
- Break up the spinach with your hands or a wooden spoon in a bowl, making sure it is very well dried as you do. Add the spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese to the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Spread the spinach dip into the prepared baking dish. Bake the dip for 20 minutes.
- Top with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Return the dip to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let it cool for a few minutes, then dip and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Drying The Spinach
Whatever towel or cheesecloth you use will stain green. You can use paper towels to dry the spinach but it will take several rounds of paper towels to dry the spinach. You want to remove as much water as possible from the spinach dip as otherwise it can make your dip too watery. If you are having trouble getting the water out of the defrosted spinach, you can place the spinach in a pan and sautee it until most of the water is out of it.Using Fresh Spinach
You can use fresh spinach but you will need to cook it before adding it to the dip. Get a large skillet or even a large 4-6 quart pot. Turn the stovetop over medium heat. Add handfuls of spinach to the pan and cook until it shrinks. This means the water has been cooked out of the spinach. Continue adding portions of spinach to the pan in handfuls until all the spinach has cooked down. Place the spinach on a layer of paper towels. Dry it well and allow the spinach to cool before adding it to the dip.Browning The Cheese
If your dip isn't as golden brown as you would like you can place the dip under the broiler for a minute as long as your dip is in a metal pan or a porcelain pan. A glass or Pyrex baking dish can shatter under the high heat of the broiler and should not be placed under the broiler ever!Nutrition
Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4075IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 292mg | Iron: 1mg
Found on: onmykidsplate.com/baked-spinach-dip/