St. Patty's Spinach Artichoke (Printable version)

Creamy spinach and artichoke blend baked inside a crusty sourdough bread bowl, ideal for sharing.

# Ingredient List:

→ Bread Bowl

01 - 1 large round sourdough loaf, approximately 1 pound

→ Dip

02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
04 - 1 cup cream cheese, softened
05 - 1 cup sour cream
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ For Serving

13 - Sourdough bread chunks from bread bowl
14 - Assorted crackers or vegetable sticks

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice the top off the sourdough loaf and carefully hollow out the center, leaving a 1-inch thick shell. Tear the removed bread into bite-sized pieces for dipping and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped spinach and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix until smooth.
04 - Fold the sautéed spinach and chopped artichoke hearts into the cheese mixture until well combined.
05 - Spoon the dip mixture into the hollowed bread bowl. Replace the top of the loaf if desired.
06 - Place the filled bread bowl on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the dip is bubbly and the bread is golden brown.
07 - Transfer to serving platter and serve warm with reserved bread chunks, crackers, or vegetable sticks.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bread bowl does all the heavy lifting visually, making you look like you spent hours when it took barely forty minutes.
  • Cream and cheese melt into something so silky that even spinach skeptics ask for seconds.
  • Baking it means you can set it and forget it instead of babysitting a slow cooker all afternoon.
02 -
  • Don't skip wilting the spinach separately—raw spinach releases water during baking that makes the dip weepy and sad instead of creamy and dreamy.
  • Drain your artichokes thoroughly; I learned this the hard way when my dip came out looking more like soup than the thick, spoonable dip it should be.
  • Leave the bread bowl's top off during baking if you want maximum crust on the inside; covering it keeps things steamy but softer.
03 -
  • Room temperature cream cheese is the secret to a smooth, lump-free dip—take it out of the fridge at least thirty minutes before you start cooking.
  • Use a small melon baller or sturdy spoon to hollow out the bread, working from the center outward so you don't puncture the bottom or sides.
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