Recipe: Slow Cooker Spinach-Artichoke Dip

There’s a reason why many steakhouses and chain restaurants have warm spinach-artichoke dip on their appetizer menu. With a tangy, creamy base fragrant with Parmesan cheese and onions, swirled through with spinach and tender artichoke hearts, this comforting dip — just begging to be scooped up with crackers or a piece of French bread — screams approachable decadence. What sets this dip apart from other versions is the addition of lemon zest at the end. It helps to cut through all the richness of the dairy and give it a bit of fresh zing.

Mix everything together in the slow cooker, take it to your destination, and just plug it in for your next work potluck, dinner party, or Friendsgiving. You get all that creamy, gooey goodness — no oven required.

This is truly a stir-and-heat affair. Using tender scallions means that there’s no need to precook the onion, and a box of thawed chopped spinach eliminates the need to sauté a bag of spinach first. If you can, thaw the box of spinach on a plate in the refrigerator overnight (those boxes can leak!), or you can place the block of spinach in a bowl in the microwave for a few minutes instead.

Feel free to double this recipe if you’re feeding a big or really hungry crowd. Once ready, the dip can sit in the slow cooker on the warm setting for up to two hours before the spinach’s color starts to turn. Oh, and I did mention that the leftovers are great as a cold dip too?