How to Make Delicious Spinach Dip Hot Bread

This article appeared in oklaugh.com and has been published here with permission.

You can have this cheesy spinach appetizer anywhere; in front of the TV, during family dinners with a warm bowl of soup, or on a fun picnic outside. Its pillowy-soft texture, creamy sauce, and a slight kick of heat make it perfect for every occasion.

What You'll Need

This is a recipe that can be easily customized depending on the type of bread you have at home. The rest of the ingredients are things you probably already have in your pantry.

What You'll Need
Image by Racool_studio

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
  • 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
  • 1 (10-ounce) package of fresh baby spinach
  • 14 ounces pre-shredded Parmesan cheese (about 4 1/4 cups)
  • 1 (24-ounce) sourdough boule
  • 1 tablespoon chopped jarred Calabrian chiles
  • 1 ½ ounces pre-shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1/3 cup)

How to Make It

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a pan. Add flour and whisk until fully combined. Gradually start adding milk and cream, whisking constantly. Once mixed, let everything boil for one minute over medium, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until you get a thick texture. Add 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the white pepper and stir. Remove it from the stove.
  2. Melt the rest of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for about 6 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add spinach and cook again until all the liquid has evaporated.
  3. Pour the milk mixture into the spinach mixture and combine well. Add Parmesan and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.
  4. Cut the sourdough boule crosswise into 5 one-inch-thick slices. Don't cut through the bread completely. Stop once you've reached the bottom to create a bowl. Place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the cheesy mixture between each slice and put Calabrian chiles on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella, too.
  5. Bake until the top is slightly brown and the middle part gets gooey. It should take about 7-10 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!