Crab, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip

Crab, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip- Blending traditional Maryland crab dip with traditional spinach artichoke dip to make one super dip.

December 30, 2021 by Nicole Collins

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How is it almost 2022?

I feel like we’ve spent so much time talking about Christmas this past month, New Year’s snuck right up on me!

But, that’s ok. Because, I’m READY.

My family doesn’t have too many food traditions, but serving Maryland crab dip on NYE is one of them. I don’t remember how or why we started doing this, but it’s something I’ve carried into my adult life and celebrations too.

Well this year, I’m shaking things up. Crab and dip are still involved, but in a totally unexpected way.

Today, we’re making Crab, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip!

Think of this dip like this. We’re basically blending traditional crab dip with traditional spinach artichoke dip to create one super dip. And let me tell you, this dip is super! It’s rich and creamy and hearty and everything we need to help us ring in a brand new year.

So, let’s get to it!

Let’s start with the base of our dip. This is a creamy dip, so we’re using all of the main characters to achieve that: cream cheese, sour cream, and a little mayo. Next, to make this dip the ultimate in gooeyness, we need all the cheese. Spinach artichoke dip traditionally uses shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, so both of those are going into this mix. You’ll typically see shredded cheddar in a crab dip, so we’re throwing a little of that in here too!

Anyone taking note of that cheese count so far?

To season our dip, we’re keeping it really simple. We’re going to mix in some fresh garlic and some Old Bay, both which are classic to each respective dish individually. Then, we’ll mix all the creamy, cheesy goodness together; and get the bowl ready to add in our star players.

To our creamy mix, we need some spinach, some artichokes, and some lump crab meat. For the spinach, the easiest way to get the amount that we need is to go straight to the freezer section of the grocery store. Grab a box, thaw it in the microwave, squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the spinach, then add it straight to the bowl. For the artichokes, you’ll often see jars or cans of artichokes, and you’ll have the option of plain or marinated. We don’t want marinated artichokes for this, because we have enough flavor for this dip coming from the Old Bay. And, we don’t want those two flavor profiles to compete. So grab the plain artichokes, drain them well, chop them up, and throw those into the bowl too. Finally for the crab, fresh crab meat is better than canned if you have access to it, so grab that. Grab some lump blue crab meat, do a quick pick through to remove any shells, and the crab can go right into the bowl with the veggies.

Once we have everything nice and mixed together, we can transfer the mix to a baking dish, pop it in the oven, then wait a few minutes for the dip to become bubbly and slightly golden. And then, we eat!

To serve, you can use crackers. You can use pita chips. You can use toasted baguette. You can use more veggies. This dip is absolutely fantastic with everything! And since this is basically 2 dips in one, you get double the servings! That sounds like a win win situation to me!

This dip truly tastes like all the best parts of each individual dip while providing some new life to your appetizer table. It’s rich and creamy. It’s ooey and gooey. It has hints of the sea and hints of the earth all in one bite. This could very easily become the new tradition on my NYE table!

Ok, everyone! This is officially our last recipe of 2021. If you have anything you want to see here in 2022, please let me know! I’ll do my best to make it happen!

I hope you all enjoy! Be safe, have fun, happy New Year, and let’s eat!

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Crab, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip

Serves: 10 Print

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• ¾ cup sour cream

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

• ½ tsp worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

• ½ cup shredded parmesan

• ¼ cup shredded cheddar

• 10 oz (1 package) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

• 14 oz (1 can) artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped

• 8 oz lump blue crab meat, picked through for shells

• toasted baguette, crackers, and veggies, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   

2. To a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Old Bay, worcestershire, and all 3 cheeses. Mix well until fully combined. Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the spinach and artichokes, then add them to the bowl along with the crab meat. Mix gently to fully combine.
   

3. Transfer the mix to a 2 qt baking dish. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and bubbly around the edges. Serve with toasted baguette, crackers, and veggies.
   

Recipe notes:

*You can prep this dip the night before and bake it the next day. Transfer the mix to the serving dish as directed, cover with foil, and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake it, bring the dish out of the fridge and remove the foil while the oven preheats. The bake time will remain the same.

*Make sure to get regular artichoke hearts and not marinated for this recipe. We don't want those extra flavors competing with the Old Bay and worc sauce in our dip.

*Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. This dip reheats really well.