Spinach Artichoke Dip (with Bacon)
Upgrade your classic spinach dip and make this creamy, cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip with bacon for the perfect texture and flavor!
PERFECT PARTY DIP
Spinach Artichoke Dip is already a classic favorite dip that I love to make and serve (it’s so good, right?) but adding crispy bacon takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness! This twist on the classic dip is rich, creamy, and packed with even more flavor from the tender spinach and artichokes, to the melty cheese, and crispy bits of smoky bacon. It’s the perfect thing to make when you’re hosting a party, or need a dish to take to a potluck!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Unlike my Cold Spinach Dip, in my opinion, this dip is best served and eaten hot or warm.
Some of my favorite things to serve with this dip are veggies, crostini, tortilla chips, or crackers (like Club crackers or Ritz crackers) and Triscuits are all great options.
Yes, I haven’t personally tried it though. You can follow the steps 1-5 below in the recipe card (minus preheating the oven, obviously). Then pop it into a baking dish that will fit in your air fryer and cook at 400F degrees for about 20-24 minutes or until the dip is bubbling and heated through. Check on the dip and see if it needs covered while cooking so it doesn’t burn. If it’s getting dark and the middle still isn’t hot, you definitely need to cover it.
In my opinion, for this dip, it’s always best to use the frozen spinach because it is already nice and soft whereas with fresh they would need to wash it, chop it up and then cook it down until it wilts before it’s ready to be used.
This can happen if you don’t drain your thawed spinach well enough. See instructions below on how to properly remove the excess water.
If you leave your spinach too wet and you get a watery dip. Nobody wants that. So, to help keep this dip the best consistency, let’s figure out the best way to drain it. First, you have to thaw it correctly. Let the frozen chopped spinach thaw overnight in the fridge, or use the microwave in short bursts (30–60 seconds at a time) until fully thawed. Check the bag of frozen spinach for any specific instructions it might have to make this easier. Then it’s time to squeeze out excess moisture.
Place the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or a few sturdy paper towels.
Gather the edges, twist tightly, and firmly squeeze over the sink or a bowl.
Keep squeezing until no more liquid comes out—this step is key to prevent a watery dip. Finish getting it prepped by fluffing it up. After you’ve wrung the spinach dry it can be kind of “lifeless” for lack of a better word, so I like to fluff the spinach apart with my fingers or a fork before mixing it into the dip.
Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 days, I do not recommend freezing.
Reheat in the oven or microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- bacon– You can use freshly cooked bacon or you can grab some of those bacon pieces from the salad aisle of the grocery store and use that for convenience. I prefer freshly cooked bacon for this. I think you get a much better flavor and texture versus microwaveable bacon or the bacon pieces.
- artichoke hearts – if you’ve never purchased these before, they come in a can and you can usually find them where the other canned vegetables are located in the grocery store.
- frozen spinach– frozen spinach is very wet so it is really important that you let it thaw completely then drain it really, really well so it doesn’t add a bunch of water to the dip. You can put it in some paper towels and continue to squeeze it until you are no longer getting water coming out.
- cream cheese– be sure to set it out the soften ahead of time. If you forget to do so early enough, you can use these Tips to Soften Cream Cheese Fast.
- shredded gouda cheese– if this kind of cheese isn’t for you, try gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella, or pepper Jack cheese. You could even go with a smoked gouda!
- sour cream – I know a lot of people’s husbands don’t like sour cream – ha! I hear it ALL the time but we gotta get these men to expand their pallets! And you do not taste this as a tangy separate ingredient when combined with all the other flavors. You could certainly use all mayonnaise but I think you’d really be missing out on some great flavor and you don’t want it to have a super heavy mayonnaise taste.
- mayonnaise – use your favorite kind. I do not recommend Miracle Whip just because I can’t stand the taste of it. Besides, it’s not a mayonnaise, it’s a dressing. But if you prefer it, then go for it. Don’t let me stop you!
- freshly grated parmesan cheese– I find that fresh grated cheese works better than the green bottled stuff but use what you prefer!
- garlic – I think freshly minced garlic is always going to give you the best flavor instead of the jarred stuff but use what is easiest for you.
- black pepper
HOW TO MAKE SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP WITH BACON:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Add the bacon, artichoke hearts, spinach, cream cheese, half of the gouda, sour cream, mayonnaise, parmesan, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well until combined. I like to use an electric hand mixer.
Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top. Top with the remaining Gouda cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly.
If desired, turn the broiler on high and broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t burn. Serve immediately.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Spinach Artichoke Dip with Bacon
Ingredients
- 12 ounce package bacon, cooked until crispy then small diced (see notes below)
- 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
- 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out really well
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups shredded gouda cheese (divided use)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add diced cooked bacon, chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, softened cream cheese, 1 cup shredded gouda cheese, 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix well until combined. I like to use an electric hand mixer.
- Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup shredded gouda cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly.
- If desired, turn the broiler on high and broil for a a minute or two until the cheese is golden brown. Do not walk away while broiling – it can burn very quickly.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- You can set aside a little bit of the bacon to use as a topping as well if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
We loved this version!
What A Great RECIPE – FAMILY LOVED IT
Yay! Thank you for giving his a try Anne!! I really appreciate you coming back to comment!