Creamy Spinach with Artichokes ♥


Three Guesses. What are the most-requested restaurant recipes for my column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch? Mac 'n 'cheese? Right. Salad dressing? That too. Bread pudding? Absolutely. (And oh man, St. Louisans do love their bread pudding. The best I've tasted so far? The Apple Rum Raisin Breading Pudding from Cicero's in the Delmar Loop.)
But after those top three? The next most-requested recipe is for spinach and artichoke dip, what the restaurants call "spin dip". I've written about four different recipes in the four years I've written the column. (Four years! Really! Best yet? It's still fun! I.Digress.) People love-love-love their spin dip!
This recipe for spinach and artichoke casserole is "half spin dip" and "half steakhouse creamed spinach" – but without the muck of heavy cheese and goopy mayonnaise. It's all about the spinach, cloaked in dreamy-creaminess but without being heavy or cloying, thanks to a bright touch of lemon. I adore it! That said, it may be healthy spinach but like all restaurant spin dips, it's hardly "diet food" – moderation is a good idea!
RECIPE for CREAMY SPINACH WITH ARTICHOKES
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 1-1/4 hour
Makes about 4 cups plus artichokes, enough to serve 16 at a large multi-course meal like Easter or Thanksgiving but otherwise 8
Time to table: 1-1/4 hour
Makes about 4 cups plus artichokes, enough to serve 16 at a large multi-course meal like Easter or Thanksgiving but otherwise 8
Large pot with 3 inches water
1 tablespoon table salt
2 pounds frozen spinach
8 ounces low-fat Neufchatel cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Seasoned salt (such as Lawry's) to taste
Several grinds fresh nutmeg
24 ounces canned artichokes, drained
Set oven to 350F/175C.
Cook the spinach. Bring the water and salt to a boil, stirring occasionally until salt dissolves. Drop in the spinach, make sure it's all submerged. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until spinach tastes "done" but is still bright green. Strain through a colander, pressing out much of the liquid with the back of a spoon.
Mix the cream cheese mixture. Meanwhile, thoroughly mix remaining ingredients (except artichokes), then stir in drained spinach. Spread in an oven-safe casserole dish. Insert artichokes, stem sides up and at an angle, into the spinach mixture.
Bake. Cover with foil, punch a few holes in the foil with the tip of a knife. Bake for 45 minutes or until creamy and bubbly. Serve hot.
MAKE-AHEAD TIPS Mix everything the day before or morning of and refrigerate. Bring back to room temperature for at least an hour. Bake at 350F/175C for 45 - 60 minutes. If there's no time to bring to room temperature, I'd allow about 90 minutes to bake.
ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES





Still Hungry?
NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here.
Once you do, new recipes will be automatically delivered straight to your e-mail In Box.
Once you do, new recipes will be automatically delivered straight to your e-mail In Box.
MORE RECIPE IDEAS FOR EASTER
~ Bourbon-Glazed Roasted Carrots ~~ Easy-Easy Slow Cooker Honey Carrots ~
~Greek Spinach-Asparagus-Potato Gratin (Spinaki me Sparaggia Orgraten) ~
~ more spinach recipes ~
~ more artichoke recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Moroccan Onions ~
~ Those Pink Potatoes ~
~ Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables) ~
~ more Easter recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column
A Veggie Venture is home of 'veggie evangelist' Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2015
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2015
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna