Spinach Artichoke Dip

As evidenced by its popular presence on restaurant appetizer menus, a crock of bubbling spinach and artichoke dip — the savior of many a happy hour — is one of the most comforting and crowd-pleasing party dips out there. It isn’t hard to make a tasty version of this dip (you can even make it in a slow cooker), but with a few tips you can make the ultimate spinach and artichoke dip — one so delicious you just might eat so much you spoil your appetite for dinner. We promise we won’t tell.

• Spinach: Just thaw out some frozen spinach in the microwave, or cook down a lot of baby spinach instead.
• Artichokes: Grab a can of artichoke hearts or quarters packed in water.
• Scallions and garlic: A little bit of scallion and garlic give great flavor to the dip.
• 3 cheeses: This dip relies on 3 cheeses for flavor and creaminess: low-moisture mozzarella, Parmesan, and cream cheese.
• Sour cream and mayonnaise: A hefty dose of sour cream and some mayonnaise keep the dip creamy and scoopable.
• Lemon zest: A touch of freshly grated lemon zest stirred in at the end adds some brightness.

Dairy is the name of the game when making great spinach and artichoke dip, and we use four different kinds here for the perfect balance. Parmesan adds salty nuttiness, mozzarella cheese adds mild creaminess, sour cream adds tang, and cream cheese helps to thicken and bind everything together. Mix those together with some mayonnaise and you have the ultimate base that will bake up bubbling and comforting. Stirring in a little lemon zest will help cut through some of that richness.

1. Skip softening the cream cheese. Many spinach and artichoke dip recipes call for softening cream cheese first. Instead of having to remember to take out the cream cheese an hour or two before you need it, or struggling to blend the chunks of cream cheese into everything else, skip using a mixing bowl and heat everything up together on the stove first. A quick stint on the stove means that you can start with cream cheese straight out of the refrigerator, and the heat guarantees that everything is perfectly melted and combined.
2. Broil for a cheesy top. While the dip can be served warm right off the stove, for the ultimate cheese pull and toasty cheese flavor, save some of the mozzarella for sprinkling on after the dip is heated, then broil until golden-brown.
3. Make over leftover dip. If you find yourself with leftover dip, which, let’s face it, will probably not happen, you can also toss it with some hot pasta for a super-easy dinner.

Spinach and artichoke dip can be served with a wide variety of dippers:

• Crackers
• Baguette or French bread
• Tortilla chips
• Cucumber slices
• Carrot sticks
• Wedges of peppery radishes