The Best Copycat Spinach Artichoke Dip!
I love Applebee’s spinach and artichoke dip, it is probably one of the best spinach and artichoke dips I have had. Unfortunately, I am really cutting back on eating at restaurants this year. Since I am trying to meet financial goals I wanted to find a great copycat spinach artichoke dip recipe.
I searched the internet and found many copycat spinach artichoke dip recipes. I decided to try a few. Although many recipes that I tried were good, they just weren’t quite restaurant quality. Through testing, and intuition I combined recipes, and added my own twist. I love this recipe so much and feel it rivals even Applebee’s!
Now the price I paid for all of the ingredients was around $9, it seems more expensive than Applebee’s spinach and artichoke dip which is only $6. Keep in mind that this recipe makes 4 to 5 times more than what you get at Applebee’s. If you wanted to eat as much dip as this recipe makes, you would have to pay at least $24 at Applebee’s.
Also, I could have probably gotten some of the ingredients for this recipe, cheaper. I didn’t use any coupons, digital or physical. I made this dip for both Christmas and New Year’s, stores were crowded, so I just tried to get in and out. You could probably get some of these ingredients for cheaper than what I paid!
Since this copycat spinach artichoke dip recipe makes so much, it can literally feed up to 8 people as an appetizer. Or, better yet, it reheats well so you can have it the next day!
With any recipe you try only add elements you like. For instance if you don’t like black pepper or garlic, don’t add it! This recipe is so good! Enjoy the best copycat spinach artichoke dip!
Ingredients for the Best Copycat Spinach Artichoke Dip
The creamy base of spinach artichoke dip is made from cream cheese, and alfredo sauce. The brand of sauce and cream cheese is up to you. I chose Classico four cheese alfredo sauce because it was on sale. I also chose to just use a generic cream cheese.
The next component to the best copycat spinach artichoke dip is, artichoke hearts and spinach. I chose to just pick a can of artichoke hearts, but they also sold artichoke hearts in jars. Whatever you prefer is fine. As for spinach, I wanted to use fresh spinach. I found it on sale for $0.99 a bunch, but you can choose to use frozen if you wish. I personally feel fresh tastes better, but it’s up to you and your budget!
The best part of the copycat spinach artichoke dip is the cheese. I found Sargento Mozzarella on sale for $1.25 for an 80z package. Any Mozzarella will be sufficient. I also bought a package that includes 2 cups of shredded Romano and Parmesan cheese. You can use different combinations of italian cheese. I have used Fontina cheese in place of Mozzarella (it is much more expensive), and it was also very delicious!
The last ingredients are seasonings and olive oil. If you have extra virgin olive oil that’s great! I personally used just plain olive oil since I buy it in bulk. Since you are cooking with it, it doesn’t make that much of a difference.
As for garlic, I am obsessed! I used 3 cloves of fresh garlic, and 1 tsp garlic powder. If you aren’t a huge fan of garlic don’t use it. I also ground fresh black peppercorns on top. I thought the pepper added a great element to the copycat spinach artichoke dip
These are all the ingredients, don’t worry I have a list below specifying all the ingredients and the amount you need!
Make the Best Copycat Spinach Artichoke Dip!
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Use Olive Oil to coat small baking dish (I used an 8″ X 10″ glass dish), and the bottom of a skillet.
Heat oil in skillet to medium heat
Next rinse the spinach, and cut the stems off. Chop spinach into pieces. Also chop garlic into pieces. Add both the spinach and garlic to heated skillet.
Stir spinach and garlic frequently until cooked. If spinach gets dry, add a little more olive oil. It does not take long to cook 5 to 10 minutes. Once spinach and garlic appear to be done remove from heat.
Before you make the rest of the dip, rinse the artichoke hearts thoroughly and shop to desired consistency. I like larger pieces of artichoke hearts so I just chop loosely.
Now it is time to bake the base of the best copycat spinach artichoke dip. Take the 8 oz package of softened cream cheese and mix it with the alfredo sauce and garlic powder. You may need a hand mixer to get the cream cheese and alfredo sauce one consistency.
Once the base is made, stir in spinach, artichoke hearts, Mozzarella (save some to put on top), and Parmesan and Romano cheese mix. Grind pepper on top.
Lastly, sprinkle cheese on top of the spinach artichoke dip. Do not cover, so the cheese can melt and form a delicious cheesy crust!
Bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes. Until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, pita chips, or bread! Enjoy!
| Ingredient | Amount | Price | Price Breakdown |
| Alfredo Sauce (I used Classico 4 cheese, but you can use your prefered style) | A 15 oz Jar | $1.68 | Normal price at local grocery discount store. Although I have seen them for $0.99 on sale frequently |
| Artichoke Hearts | 1 Jar, 10 oz to 14 oz, whatever you can get a deal on! | $2.48 | I bought a 14 oz can at a local discount grocery store |
| Spinach | 1 Bunch of Fresh Spinach or 10 oz chopped frozen spinach | $0.99 | I bought fresh. It was on sale at a chain grocery store |
| Garlic | 3 cloves, if you love Garlic | $0.29 | Fresh Garlic was $1.99 lb. The bulb I purchased was $0.58. I used less than ½ the bulb estimating the cost at $0.29 |
| Cream Cheese | 4 oz to 8 oz | $0.99 | I got 8 oz on sale at a chain grocery store |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 2 Cups | $1.25 | I got it on sale at a chain grocery store |
| Shredded Parmesan and Romano Cheese | 1 Cup | $1.34 | It was $2.68 at a discount grocery store for 2 cups |
| Garlic Powder | 1 tsp | $0.03 | I buy garlic powder in bulk for a super low price! |
| Ground Black Pepper | To taste | $0.02 | I buy black peppercorns in bulk for a super low price |
| Olive Oil | Approximately 2 TBSP | $0.04 | I buy regular olive oil in bulk. I got a deal for $10.37 for 1 gallon, making 1 cup $0.65! Since there are 16 TBSP in a cup it’s about $0.04! |
Total Cost: $9.11
Feeds: 6-8 people
| Directions |
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I created a free printable PDF recipe to help you save this recipe more easily! Feel free to download to your computer or mobile device!
The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip Printable Recipe PDF
If you have any questions about the recipe, the ingredients, or the technique feel free to ask! I believe everyone should have good, quality food at great prices!
Also, if you are working hard towards meeting financial goals in 2017 check out this post “7 Foolproof Ways to Meet Financial Goals This Year”
Disclaimer
www.walletwhisperer.com is not associated with Applebees in any way shape or form. I have no inside information. I simply experimented with ingredients and was able to find a close recipe!
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