Before I came to Laurier, I never knew what a godsend spinach dip was. You can’t stop by our campus restaurant, Wilf’s, without grabbing an order to share with friends (or, let’s be honest, all to yourself). It’s just that good! In first-year, living in residence, I cracked the code and developed a recipe that may even put Wilf’s spin dip to shame. Since then, I’ve had requests to bring it to Super Bowl parties, family functions, and even to bake it on a whim when my roommates need a pick me up. It’s always a crowd favourite, and will impress any guest because your friends will think you actually cooked when all you did was warm up some cheese! Here is a step by step guide and ingredients on how to make the perfect spin dip!
1. Prep your veggies
You will need:
- 2½ cups of washed and finely chopped spinach
- ¼ cup of chopped white onion
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Garlic and Herb Seasoning Blend
Let your olive oil warm up in a pan. Then, sauté the veggies until the spinach wilts and the onions become translucent and turn brown.
2. Bring on the dairy
You will need:
- Two 8 oz. packages of Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 cup of shredded marble cheese
- A few dashes of Tabasco sauce
In the same pan on medium heat, add the cubed cream cheese and let it melt. Incorporate your veggies to the cream cheese mixture and add a few dashes of your favourite hot sauce. Stir in half of your marble cheese, but don’t worry about melting the cheese because the dip will be going into the oven soon. Now is the time to add a little salt and pepper to taste!
3. Things are heating up
Either leave the spin dip in the skillet or put it into an oven-safe serving dish. Use the remaining ½ cup of marble cheese to sprinkle on top. Broil until the top level of cheese is bubbling.
4. Plate with your desired dippers
I personally like toasted pita, but spin dip is good with almost anything! If you want to give your guests a variety of options, try crackers, chips, or even fries if you want to spice things up.
Happy dipping Golden Hawks!