My brother came over for dinner on Sunday and brought an awesome Spinach Dip with him. It was so good, I could have skipped dinner and just ate dip and dessert. I admit, it's not as easy as the standby Spinach and Artichoke Dip that most people serve. But it is also 110% better than those dips. The combination of the cheese, the mellow crab flavor, the smoky bacon, and the slight heat from the cayenne are so good, it's hard to stop eating. My brother served it with crostini which I highly recommend -- they're sturdy enough to support the thick, hot dip. Sorry for the picture -- I was really more concerned with dipping!
If you want a shortcut, I think you could easily substitute frozen, thawed spinach for the fresh. It probably ended up being about 1 cup.
Hot Spinach and Crab Dip
1 lb. fresh spinach, rinsed and stems trimmed
4 T. unsalted butter
1 c. chopped yellow onions
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 c. grated Monterey Jack
14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch round oven-proof casserole and set aside.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove and refresh under cold running water.
Squeeze to remove all excess water and chop.
Set aside. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux, about 2 minutes.
Add the milk and cream in a steady stream,
and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cooked spinach and lemon juice, and stir to incorporate.
Add the crab, cubed and grated cheeses, artichoke hearts, and bacon, and stir well.
Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared dish.
Top with the Parmesan and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
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4 T. unsalted butter
1 c. chopped yellow onions
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 c. grated Monterey Jack
14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch round oven-proof casserole and set aside.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove and refresh under cold running water.
Squeeze to remove all excess water and chop.
Set aside. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux, about 2 minutes.
Add the milk and cream in a steady stream,
and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cooked spinach and lemon juice, and stir to incorporate.
Add the crab, cubed and grated cheeses, artichoke hearts, and bacon, and stir well.
Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared dish.
Top with the Parmesan and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
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1 comment:
WOW! This has everything good in it. Will definitely try this, thanks for sharing! :)
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