Unlike warm cheesy dips made with cream cheese or mayonnaise, this Spinach Artichoke Fondue Dip is made with Gruyere, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
Last month I went to an ugly sweater Christmas party. My friends, Malcolm & Elissa, not only throw a great party, but they put out an awesome spread. My husband and I got to the party right when it started because we’re fuddy duddies and can’t stay up late, but that allowed me to be there as the kitchen prep was happening. I made a batch of my brown butter brownies to share and was waiting for oven space to finish them off. You see, I doubled the recipe but used the same size pan and just could not get them to set. Gooey brown butter brownies still taste pretty damn good, but you can imagine that party goers might not be too inclined to grab a brownie if they can’t actually pick it up. Note to self: if doubling the batch, increase the size of the pan.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Anyway, while waiting for my turn in the hot oven, Elissa pulled out the most delicious looking spinach artichoke dip. This warm cheesy dip is a staple on any good recipe blog and I had yet to make it. The first thing she said when she described it was that she hated cheesy dips full of cream cheese and mayonnaise and that this one had neither. I was intrigued so I had to try several, okay – many, bites to see what she was talking about because, well, you can’t be certain if you only try one or two bites, right?
She was right! The flavors were subtle and sophisticated. It was more like a fondue than a greasy dip. The gruyere and parmesan gave it that hearty and robust flavor while the mozzarella gave it that ooey gooey cheesiness you want in a warm dip. The fact that she made the crusty bread bowls to go along with the dip didn’t hurt either. You can certainly bake this dip in a dish and serve it alongside chips, but we all know bread is best.
recipe from http://www.itsnoteasyeatinggreen.com/
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 2 ounce Gruyere Cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 2 ounce Parmesan Cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- dash of nutmeg
- 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed with all the liquid squeezed out
- 1-14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained (not marinated or packed in oil)
- 4 ounces mozzarella, shredded
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat and add flour. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the flour just starts to change color and turn fragrant, about five minutes. Do not let the flour brown.
- Add the garlic and cook until very fragrant, about 30 seconds longer.
- Combine milk and half and half in a measuring cup and add about a 1/2 cup at a time to the flour mixture, whisking after each addition until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add the Gruyere, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until the cheese has just melted, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Working over a bowl or the sink, squeeze the liquid out of the spinach. Chop the artichokes fine and then fold both the spinach and the artichokes into the sauce.
- Pour the sauce into an oven safe baking dish (or multiple dishes) or a hollowed out bread bowl. Top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 30 minutes until the edges are bubbly and the cheese on the top is dark golden brown. Serve with bread cubes or chips.
Leave a Reply