Hot spinach cheese dip is one of those famous dips that’s always a crowd-pleaser!
This hot spinach dip recipe with cream cheese is the best ever dip! It’s popular during the holidays, and great as a take-along contribution to a party, a potluck, or a buffet! We often serve this on Christmas Eve for appie night alongside the always popular hot artichoke dip!
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For an extra easy and attractive presentation, serve fresh spinach dip recipe hot from a cast-iron skillet and let guests help themselves! We love it with our famous wonton crisps, sourdough crackers or toasted slices of crusty no-knead bread.
Fresh Spinach Parmesan Dip!
Whether it’s served or hot or cold, spinach dip is full of flavor, color, and texture! While it’s most famous as a dip, consider using it as a spread on garlic bread or as a sandwich dressing on a wrap with meat and veggies! We love this no mayo version because cream cheese makes it creamy and flavorful!
How to Prepare Spinach
A quick and easy way to prepare spinach dip is to make sure the spinach is prepped the right way. For garden spinach:
- Start with breaking apart the stems and add the spinach to cold water.
- Gently swish the spinach around in the water to remove sand and dirt.
- Carefully wash each spinach leaf. Break off tough stems.
- Rinse again in fresh water, and place on top of a clean dish towel or paper towels. Roll up and squeeze lightly to remove moisture.
- Coarsely chop with a large knife. Presto!
It’ll look like a LOT of spinach, but it cooks down beautifully in the dip.
To use frozen spinach, defrost and drain two 10 ounce packages of frozen spinach. Add in place of fresh spinach and follow remaining instructions.
How to Make Hot Spinach Dip
Savory spinach dip is a party favorite that’s ready in 1-2-3!
- Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add spinach and cook. Remove the spinach and press the extra moisture out. A colander is a great way to squeeze the spinach.
- Whisk milk and cream cheese into the saute pan. Add the spinach to melted cheese and other ingredients. Double the hot sauce for an extra spicy version!
- Put the dip in a casserole dish (or a cast-iron skillet), top with more mozzarella, and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
PRO TIP: Before cooking, leave cream cheese to soften at room temperature, or use the microwave.
PRO TIP: Use my favorite vegetable chopper to chop the onion! It is a time-saver for the prep and also saves your eyes! I love that it makes the onion bits all the same size and you can choose from two sizes!
What to Add to Hot Spinach Dip
Hot spinach dip is great just the way it is, but it’s even better with a few added ingredients for flavor and color! I mean who doesn’t love hot spinach artichoke dip? Try a few of these extras on for size!
- Bacon crumbles
- Sliced black olives
- Sundried tomatoes
- Sliced jalapenos
- Diced green chiles
- Sliced, toasted almond or walnut
- Fresh crabmeat
- Small, cocktail shrimp
What to Dip in Hot Spinach Dip
- Spinach dip is a hearty dip, so try things that have some heft like crostinis, toasted bread, or crackers (even sourdough crackers!).
- We also like it with celery stalks, carrot sticks, zucchini, and cucumber rounds.
- Why not scoop it into mushroom caps, top with extra Parmesan cheese, and broil for a few minutes to create a whole new appetizer? (Also a fantastic idea for leftovers, if you have any!)
- Hot spinach dip can also be served from a sourdough bread bowl with the insides scooped out. Use the inside bread to dip! No dishes to wash!
How to Store and Use Leftovers
- Spinach dip will last up to a week in the refrigerator as long as it’s in a tightly covered container.
- To freshen it up, simply give it a stir and add a little extra Worcestershire sauce and a dash of salt and pepper. Serve leftovers hot or cold!
- Spinach dip freezes great, too! Scoop into zippered bags and lay them flat on the bottom of the freezer. Write the date on them and they should keep their flavor about 8 weeks. This way you can have individual servings any time you need them!
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave. Pop it under the broiler for about one minute if you’d like to brown the cheese.
Hot Spinach Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds spinach cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
- ½ cup milk
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce buffalo or Tabasco
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese or use additional mozzarella
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease or oil a ½ quart casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large pot, add oil, onion, and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent, 4-5 minutes.
- Add half of spinach, and wilt slightly. Add remaining spinach and cook until completely wilted, about 5 -8 minutes. Pour into colander, pressing spinach mixture to drain well. Set spinach mixture aside.
- Add milk and cream cheese to same pot and heat on medium, whisking until cheese is melted (about 3 minutes). Stir in spinach mixture, Worcestershire, hot sauce, parmesan, and ¼ cup of mozzarella.
- Add spinach dip mixture to casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.
- Serve with crostini, baguette or crackers.
Notes
To use frozen spinach, defrost and drain two 10 ounce packages of frozen spinach. Add in place of fresh spinach and follow remaining instructions.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Very slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
