dusting off those old memories … Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Back in the day, when I was a corporate young’un, I would often meet a friend for lunch at a nearby restaurant where we would commiserate about our horrible clients and general misery. She’d call me from her office with urgency – “11:30. Houston’s.” This was usually around 11:15 so I would run the few blocks over to the restaurant to get a big cozy booth just before the lunch rush. We always ordered the same thing: hot spinach artichoke dip and off-the-menu chicken club salads, easily the two best things on (or off) the menu. Then one day the restaurant closed, replaced with a fancy boutique hotel and it’s corresponding hip restaurant serving $29 burgers. We found other lunch mainstays but none had spinach dip like that. I miss that spinach dip.

Sure, every single restaurant in the fast casual American genre has a spinach dip and honestly, they’re not that good. There was something about the Houston’s version that was really great – creamy and perfectly cheesy – and all others pale in comparison. Copycat recipes abound online and I’ve attempted most of them. All wrong. I’ve read insider secrets from alleged former employees and made those recipes too … nope. Getting that creamy/cheesy balance just right is surprisingly difficult. Every couple years I’ll give it a shot and every couple years I’ll shelve the file out of frustration.

But lately … damn if I’ve been craving that spinach artichoke dip. So I pulled out all my notes and failed attempts, dusted off those old, withering memories and took another crack at it. Must be all the stress eating I’ve been doing in the last two weeks that has me craving hot cheesy, creamy foods: pot pies, spaghetti & meatballs, mac and cheese and yes, several versions of spinach artichoke dip. I scrapped all my previous recipes and started from scratch, building a base of cream cheese and sour cream, parmesan and mozzarella for that right mix of creaminess and cheesiness. For the vegetables, I used boxes of defrosted spinach and artichokes because they’re readily available and work perfectly. Why bother with fresh if they’re going to be slathered in dairy and won’t make a bit of difference anyway? A little garlic, a little lemon juice for acidity and a pinch of pepper flakes, this was looking promising.

Cooked on the stovetop until hot, I piled it into an oven safe dish and broiled a few minutes with a bit of extra cheese until nice and bubbly. Then I served it with the traditional tortilla chips and little dishes of sour cream and salsa alongside. I have always thought this was a tad strange, dips alongside a dip, but damn it works. I don’t know why more dairy on a dairy rich dip is needed but it works. Don’t question such things.

Is it like the original? I think so. Maybe? It is pretty dang dairy heavy – cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan and mozzarella, oh my! – but think of it as a calcium builder. If anything, I think the dairy could be doubled as my version may be bit heavier on the spinach/artichoke than I remember. Oh my! Regardless of its authenticity, it’s pretty good and will be a great thing to add to your holiday line up. Truth be told I’m working off a hazy 15 year (at least) memory though I see there is one location in Scottsdale so if I can squeeze it into the holiday madness this year when I’m back in Arizona, maybe I’ll swing over and refresh my memory. Stand by – there may be an update. And maybe, with all these years of cooking experience in my pocket, I’ll figure out those chicken tenders too because I’ll be damned if I can figure out how they they make those wispy, crispy tempura-like tenders so good.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: SLATHER ME IN SPINACH DIP. Gawd I love this stuff. The combination of creamy spinach on a crunchy tortilla chip dipped in more sour cream and a dash of hot sauce really can’t be beat. If anything, my version is probably heavier on the vegetables than the original but then I can pretend its healthy, right?

Nine years ago: Chicken Salad Full of Good Things
Eight years ago: Classic Wedge Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
Seven years ago: Maple Buttermilk Spoonbread with Glazed Pears 
Six years ago: Kale & Squash Salad
Five years ago: Apple Cider Compote and an Orchard Party
Four years ago: Roasted Delicata Squash – 4 Ways (and heres another great one I just discovered with date syrup and pomegranate molasses)
Three years ago: Shaved Mushroom and Fennel Salad
Two years ago: Kale Salad with Crispy Salami & Chickpeas
Last year: Fresh Apple Fritters, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

HOT SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP
Serves 4 as a starter
I prefer hot sauce, El Pato brand specifically, to salsa for the serving but it’s your call.

1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry and chopped a bit)
about ¾ of an 8oz box of frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted cut into large pieces (or a drained 6.25oz jar marinated artichokes hearts)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 Tablespoons sour cream (1.5oz)
scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
pinch red chile flakes
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup parmesan, grated (preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano)
½ cup part-skim mozzarella, grated

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Sauté garlic in olive oil over medium-high until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Add spinach and artichokes and stir to combine
4. Add cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, chile flakes and lemon juice and stir to combine; heat until bubbly.
5. Add the parmesan and all but a Tablespoon or two of the mozzarella and stir until heated through and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Transfer to an ovenproof bowl or gratin dish, sprinkle with the reserved mozzarella and broil until cheese is melted but not very browned, 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve hot with tortilla chips, sour cream and hot sauce/salsa.
8. Make ahead: the dip can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.