No matter what kind of get together you’re planning, spinach-artichoke dip always seems to be a family favorite and it's easy to understand why. Can you really go wrong with creamy spinach mingling with artichoke hearts all smothered in gooey, melted cheese to go with your favorite crusty spread? We think not. Whether you’re planning a movie night, you need an appetizer to pass around on Christmas Eve, or you're looking for a favorite dip to kick off your tailgate party, this creamy spinach and artichoke dip is a winner.

Tricks For Making Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This spinach and artichoke recipe is pretty straightforward and it's very adaptable. That said, here are a few tricks and substitutions to make the process even easier.

Excess Water: Spinach contains a lot of water; some of it is retained during the freezing process so the spinach needs to be drained as it thaws. To get out as much water as possible, once the spinach has thawed, pile it onto a clean kitchen towel, wrap it all up and squeeze out the water. This way you'll have a dip rather than soup.

Fresh Spinach Vs. Frozen: If you have fresh spinach you’d like to use up, you can easily use it in this recipe. You'll need about 1 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach to substitute the 10 ounces of frozen spinach this recipe calls for. First, finely chop the fresh spinach, carefully removing any large stems. Sauté the spinach until it's very limp, then squeeze out any excess water using the kitchen towel method; just make sure the spinach has cooled first.

Alternative Base: If you don't have mayonnaise or you want to lighten the dip you can easily cut the mayo with cream cheese, sour cream, or full-fat Greek yogurt. You can also replace the mayonnaise completely and it will still be delicious.

Alternative Cheeses: This recipe calls for Monterey jack and parmesan cheese, but you can easily use a different blend. Combine mozzarella cheese, Asiago, or Pecorino Romano to suit your taste or to make your dip unique.

Spice It Up: This spinach dip is amazing on its own, but you can certainly spice it up. Feel free to put your own spin on this recipe with a dash garlic powder, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, or add a pinch of black pepper. You can even add your favorite hot sauce or a squeeze of lemon juice to add a bit of tartness to it.

Serve It Warm: This spinach artichoke dip recipe is best served warm. If you're serving it at a party, consider serving it from a slow cooker on the lowest setting to give your guests the warm dip experience this recipe was designed for.

What To Serve With Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Hot spinach and artichoke dip tastes great atop a number of different snacks. If you're serving this at a party, you can give your guests plenty of options. Slices of sourdough bread work well, but you could serve it with tortilla chips or potato chips to make it a gluten-free snack, or crudite if you have carb-conscious guests or if you just want to get your kids to eat raw vegetables. Just about anything pairs well with this dip, but it's best to steer clear of flavored crackers or chips.

Get Cooking

The next time you want an otherworldly snack experience, this is the perfect recipe to kick-off the festivities. For warm bites at a holiday drop-in party or at your next game day party, this spinach and artichoke dip will be your new go-to party favorite.