Recipe: Slow Cooker Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Serves12
Makesabout 1 quart
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.
Heat and Eat
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?
Slow Cooker Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Makes about 1 quart
Serves 12
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 1
(10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave
- 1
(14-ounce) can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and coarsely chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces
sour cream
- 1/2 cup
mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup
grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup
thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts, from 2 to 3 scallions)
- 2
cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces
cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
Crackers, baguette slices, crostini, or crudités, for serving
Instructions
Coat the insert of a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Squeeze the excess moisture from the spinach and place in the slow cooker. Add the artichokes, sour cream, mayonnaise, Parmesan, scallions, garlic, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Scatter the cream cheese evenly over the spinach mixture. Cover and cook on the HIGH setting until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 2 hours.
Uncover, add the lemon zest, and stir to incorporate the cream cheese. The dip is ready to be served and can be left covered on the WARM setting for up to 2 hours.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The dip is also delicious served cold.