Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I’ve made this several ways.  One time I skipped the whole béchamel and Gruyere thing out of laziness.  I used cream cheese and whirred it all together in a food processor then shoved it in the oven.  While that was easy, the taste was bland.  I tried it with all Parmesan cheese as well…and the taste was too Parmesan-y.  So, I went back to the slightly more time consuming but worth it method of making the béchamel sauce and grating the Gruyere.  The béchamel sauce gives it a creamy texture that you just don’t get with cream cheese alone. 

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag of baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed

2 15oz cans of artichoke hearts, drained

½ red onion, diced

½ teaspoon nutmeg grated

8 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese + 4 Tablespoons

Canola oil

1-cup béchamel sauce

            2 oz butter

            2 oz flour

            ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

            1 ¼ cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Heat oil in a medium skillet, add onion and cook until soft and translucent.  Add spinach and artichokes sprinkle with nutmeg, stirring to combine.  Cook until the spinach turns bright green.  Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse four times, the mixture should be chunky not pureed.

Make the béchamel sauce.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add flour and whisk until a paste forms.  Cook roux for 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk milk into roux, sprinkle in nutmeg.  Continue whisking until sauce is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add Gruyere cheese to warm béchamel sauce.  Stir until cheese has completely melted. Add spinach and artichoke mixture and ¼ Parmesan cheese.  Transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish.  Top with additional Parmesan cheese and heat at 375°F until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Serve with grilled flatbread pita triangles or unsalted tortilla chips