Tonight we made the best Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip from scratch using fresh spinach! This dip is the real deal and no joke! We’ve made this recipe a few times now, It’s a current addiction of ours!
It’s really super simple to make and takes about 20-25 minutes to make from start to finish!
Jump to Recipe
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip without Mayo or Cream Cheese
This recipe doesn’t use cream cheese, mayo, or sour cream like most recipes. It starts with a stick of butter in the pan and then sautéing diced onions and garlic until soft. Then, shifting flour into the butter mixture to create a roux. The real secret here, I learned is to add Dijon mustard to the roux before adding the milk, cheese, cream, artichokes, and spinach, while also seasoning with salt and pepper during the cooking process.
I’m a die-hard garlic fan but now Dijon is taking the lead per se in the kitchen mix. Dijon helps kick the flavor up a few notches, giving the dip some great intensity! Such a genius idea that I can not take credit for!
The Roots and Origin
The recipe comes from The Ox-Bow Carriage House Restaurant cookbook in St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is part of Baton Rouge. I just learned that the restaurant was destroyed by fire in 2017. They did, however, reopen a new place called Restaurant 1796 which I plan to visit if I ever make it to Louisiana! It's at the top of my bucket list.
The cookbook is a majorly awesome find with wonderful recipes full of rich flavor! My parents bought a copy years ago when visiting the area and I’ve since taken that copy. If you can get your hands on a copy, I’d recommend picking it up! Maybe check Etsy, eBay, or Poshmark for used copies because it’s quite the gem to have as a reference!
Besides the awesome food at Restaurant 1796, they also offer tours of the property, which is said to have a haunted past. It’s a bed-and-breakfast too if you’d like to stay the night.
My family roots on my mother’s side are from Louisiana. Grandpa grew up in Shreveport and Grandma from a town on the Texas border called Bethany.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
This recipe yields enough to serve a crowd bigger than my family on Christmas, but we like the quantity because it refrigerates well for a few days and every drop always gets devoured. You can always send a dish over to the neighbors with some crusty French Bread slices or tortilla chips and they will love you for it!
Seriously, I kid you not, this dip is no joke! Let us know what you think of this recipe by The Ox-Bow Carriage House Cookbook because we are major fans over here!
We served it alongside Pork Schnitzel sandwiches.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Stick Butter
- 1 Small Onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
- ½ Cup Flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 ½ Cups Milk at room temperature or warmed
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese or Ramano
- ½ Cup Swiss Cheese Shredded
- ½ Cup Mozzarella cheese Optional
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Bag 10 Oz Fresh Spinach cleaned and washed
- 3 6 Oz Jars of Marinated Artichokes Hearts drained and chopped (or 1 large jar, about 15 Oz)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions and garlic until soft.
- Add the flour and Dijon, blending well to break up any lumps. Cook on low for 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add the milk and whisk well.
- Return the pan to heat and simmer.
- Add the cheeses and stir until melted.
- Add the cream, chopped spinach, and artichokes. Heat through until hot and season with salt and pepper.
Leave a Reply