Roasted Garlic and Bacon Spinach Dip
Overview
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
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5 slices bacon
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4 cups fresh spinach*
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8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
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1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I used low fat Greek yogurt)
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1/4 cup mayonnaise
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1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
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1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
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1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, or to taste
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2– 3 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
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1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese (shredded works too!)
For Serving:
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) degrees.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Turn off the heat, leave the grease in the pan, and transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set bacon aside.
- Wilt the spinach in the still-warm skillet for a minute or two. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, yogurt, and mayonnaise together on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth. Add the shredded parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and roasted garlic. Beat on high speed until combined. Taste; add more salt or pepper if desired. Crumble up 4 slices of bacon and add it to the cream cheese mixture, along with the wilted spinach. Fold them into the mixture until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into an 8-inch (or similar size) casserole/baking pan. Or you can spoon it evenly into smaller ramekins. I used four 6-ounce ramekins. Top evenly with the shaved parmesan cheese. Crumble the last piece of bacon and sprinkle on top. I sprinkled a little fresh ground pepper on top, but that is optional.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and the sides are bubbling. Dip is best enjoyed immediately. Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300°F (149°C) degree oven until the sides are bubbly again.
Notes
- Spinach: Use anywhere around 4 cups. The recipe is very forgiving. If you like a lot of spinach, pack down the 4 cups when measuring. If you do not like a lot of spinach, do not pack it down. You can use two 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach instead and skip step #3 (though you will lose some flavor). Make sure the frozen spinach is thawed and patted very, very dry.