Nothing says entertaining and even Holiday entertaining more than Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Everyone has a spinach and artichoke dip recipe, but this with Roasted Lemon is a notch above! I honestly am one of those people that did not have a Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe until this one. This is perfect for your football parties, Christmas Eve present unwrapping, cocktail party….the possibilities are endless.
I love spinach and I love artichokes and I love all the gooey cheese in a spinach artichoke dip. I was looking at another recipe on Half Baked Harvest website, Tiegen always has beautiful photography, and I noticed her new post of a spinach artichoke dip that had roasted lemon.
So I can’t take credit for the creation of this dip and afterall isn’t that kind of like immitating, which is the biggest form of flattery? Her recipe looked so delicious I just had to make and now I’m passing her receipe on to you because it is delicious! Tiegen’s recipe calls for Meyer lemons which I could not find at my rural stores, so I used a regular lemon.
The cheeses are Fotina and Mozzerella. If you aren’t familiar with Fotina, it is an Italian cow’s milk cheese. You should be able to find it at your local grocery store, but here’s a link if you cannot: https://www.amazon.com/Fontina-Wisconsin-Cheese-8-oz/dp/B00HYMWB5O/ref=sr_1_3?hvadid=78065379506726&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=fontina+cheese&qid=1576607802&s=grocery&sr=1-3. You can usually find it in the better cheese section by the deli.
Essential Roasted Lemon, Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Here’s the recipe! I think you will keep this and make again year after year! Need another recipe for an appetizer? Try these ever so easy Pigs In A Blanket: https://the2spoons.com/still-a-favorite-retro-pigs-in-a-blanket/ the
Roasted Lemon, Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 1 small Meyer lemon I could not find Meyer so I used a regular lemon
- 1 jalapeno, halved
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup fotina cheese, cubed
- 1 cup mozzerella cheese, cubed
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 10 oz bag frozen chopped spinach thawed, drained and squeezed dry
- 1 12 oz jar marinated artichokes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, raw
- fresh dill for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 375 degrees F. 2. Slice 1/3 of the lemon into thin slices and set aside. Quarter the remaining lemon and remove the seeds. 3. In a small baking dish, combine the quartered lemon, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the lemon is golden and caramelized. Remove and let cool. If desired, de-seed the jalapeño. Finely chop the lemon, jalapeño, and garlic into a rough paste. 4. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, fontina, 1/2 of the mozzarella, the paprika, spinach, and artichokes. Stir in the the roasted lemon paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to an 8-inch greased baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella and remaining lemon slices. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve warm, topped with pine nuts. Serve with fresh bread or crackers. Enjoy