Spinach dip is such a classic party appetizer, I cannot believe it has taken me this long to pull together my favorite recipe. It’s also one of the easiest possible dishes to pull together, which is a dream for those get-togethers that seem to fall between weeks of mania and disaster. I personally prefer my spinach dip at room temperature, but this recipe is versatile enough to serve at room temp or heated.
I’m also a firm believer that spinach dip should be served in a bread bowl. While I realize that the idea of carving out your own boule may be daunting… I’m here to tell you that it is not.
How to Carve A Bread Bowl
- Using a serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the top of your bread bowl – you shouldn’t take off more than half an inch at the widest part.
- Hold your serrated knife upright, so that it is perpendicular to the boule. Gently carve a circle about a half inch inside of the crust. Make sure you go almost to the bottom of the bread, but do not slice through it.
- Cut a checkerboard into the bready part of the bowl (the bread in the inner circle that you just sliced). Space each cut a half inch apart. Cut all vertical, then all horizontal.
- Wiggle your fingers down to the bottom of the long chunks you’ve just cut, and carefully rip it out. You should be left with a bunch of long rectangles of bread. Cut these into chunks and set aside.
- Congratulations, you just carved a bread bowl. I told you it wasn’t hard!
I also like to make my own mayonnaise for this dip. I find that it adds a rich layer of flavor which contrasts with the tang of the cream cheese and sour cream. I use Alton Brown’s recipe for mayonnaise (I cut it in half) and will often plan to make other dishes that use mayo over the same weekend. The homemade stuff actually has a shelf life, and it’s only one week. A great option is an herb or chipotle aioli to serve with fried foods (like arancini or fried ravioli!). If that’s not your thing, try chicken salad, or just eat a lot of sandwiches the following week.
ingredients
- 1 C (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 TBSP mayonnaise
- 3 TBSP sour cream
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp dry mustard
- 10 oz (1 box) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/4 C grated parmesan
- 1 boule loaf (optional)
instructions
- Mise en place, and read this recipe all the way through.
- Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a medium bowl. Whisk together to mix completely.
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and parmesan to the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the spinach and, you guessed it, stir to combine.
- Transfer to a hollowed boule or serving dish. Serve as is, or heat in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (the bread can be warmed, too).
Notes
Leftovers? Scoop the dip out of the bread bowl and store up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Slice off hunks of bread from the outer part of the boule (you don't want to save any of the bread that has dip clinging to it). Wrap the bread in tinfoil, and store at room temperature. I like to toast slices of leftover bread and spread a layer of spinach dip on it, then assemble a turkey sandwich between the two slices.