Recipe: Best-Ever 5-Ingredient Spinach Dip

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Aug 23, 2019
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Credit: Dan de Jesus

Serves6

Makesabout 2 cups

Prep10 minutes

Cook5 minutes

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(Image credit: Dan de Jesus)

I love how eyes light up whenever “spinach dip” is mentioned. Whether it’s the shortcut version made with soup mix or the hot, bubbly, artichoke-laden one, the comforting dip is always a crowd favorite. In this warm stovetop version, simplicity and speed is the name of the game — it only has five ingredients, along with some salt and pepper. With some pantry staples and a box of frozen spinach, this tasty spinach dip is ready in just five minutes, leaving you time to go back to watching the game or your favorite TV show.

(Image credit: Dan de Jesus)

Because there are only five ingredients in this dip, each one must pull its weight in flavor and contribute to a rich, creamy texture. Mayonnaise has the tang and creaminess you expect in spinach dip, cream cheese melts beautifully and thickens the dip, Parmesan adds nuttiness and depth, and scallions give a mild onion flavor to complement the chopped, frozen spinach. Heat everything in a saucepan and in just five quick minutes, you’re ready to serve.

Have a big crowd coming over? You can easily double this recipe, which will use up the whole block of cream cheese. You can also transfer the dip into an oven-safe baking dish, sprinkle with some more Parmesan cheese, and broil until the top is browned if you have a few extra minutes and want an extra-nice presentation. This dip has been so popular at my house that the recipe has been requested after just one bite.

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Spinach Dip

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 5 minutes

Makes about 2 cups

Serves 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 (10-ounce) package

    frozen chopped spinach, thawed in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave

  • 3/4 cup

    mayonnaise

  • 4 ounces

    cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces

  • 1/4 cup

    finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)

  • 1/4 cup

    thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts, from 3 scallions)

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • Crackers, baguette slices, crostini, or crudités, for serving

Instructions

  1. Squeeze all the excess moisture from the spinach and place in a small saucepan. Add the mayonnaise, cream cheese, Parmesan, scallions, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese is melted and the dip is warmed through and evenly combined, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Doubling: This recipe can easily be doubled and will just take a few more minutes on the stove to heat up.

Filed in:
appetizer
Cheese
easy
Frozen Foods
Gluten-Free
greens