Another one of my 2024 goals is to try to equal out some of the categories on our site. MrsForensicBBQ has slayed the veggie part and caused us introduce Treats. She now has to make more treats since there’s more categories to fulfill. I always think we lack a bit on the sides, so to no surprise, here’s a side!
The Prep Table
We’re going with a relatively simple ingredient list today. Spinach and Artichoke Dip is pretty universal.. and I was bringing this as a side for a midday cookout, so I had to please more than just me for this round. A couple warnings up front – if you steal the recipe.. and I hope you do.. cut back on the garlic. I still had to put my spin on any dish, and today I opted for a garlic bomb. I also threw in some Flatiron Pepper flakes. That crew over there does a bang-up job with their flakes, so I was happy to throw some in here for a little zip.
For the first time in 2024 – and maybe the previous two years.. I actually grabbed an appropriately sized bowl to do my mixin’. I don’t know why I always try to grab an appropriately sized bowl and not just always go one size larger. Your blogger here is an odd-bird, I have my quirks. Took that frozen spinach, rinsed it off and did a cheese-cloth squeeze to dry it out a bit. Chopped up the artichokes, drained and squeezed them out also and gave it a quick stir.
Ain’t a good dip without an excess amount of cheese. Motz, Cream, and Parmesan was added in with some mayo and sour cream and gave it a solid healthy mix. And then chopped up some garlic. And then some more. And then I couldn’t put the head back with only a couple cloves left. So I added those too. If you’re asking did it absolutely need 8 cloves of garlic. No. But I’m sure as hell glad it did.
The Process
Threw it in a 1/3 pan and gave a sprinkle of that Flatiron Pepper before sealing it up for transport. The game plan for this day was to just grill out some venison burgers, but then Doug said he was bringing bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. Well, I had to bring something also, so I brought the dip. And the smoker. And it was a perfect opportunity to test out the Anker.
Understandably, this picture will draw ridicule. “Not a real smoker”, “Use charcoal”, “Get a stick burner”… yeah yeah. I didn’t. And I will later. But not today. I adore my RecTeq products and their versatility and have been for years. After a bit of emergency battery research, I opted for the Anker over the Jackery because I’m a fan of Anker products. That’s pretty much it. And I found a killer deal on this one.
When I got to our destination, I threw some more mozzarella and parmesan to top it off and in they went. I don’t have an exact temperature/time for this cook, but I’ll estimate it for the recipe. I let Doug take over and dial her up for his popper needs. Told him to pull the dip off when the cheese grabbed that browned color.
So yeah, we used the RecTeq afterward to grill up these burgers and added some Carolina Reaper cheese on there that was actually spicy. Store-bought Reaper cheese that actually bit? What a welcoming surprise. Bonus pic unrelated to the dip, but we made it and we ate it, so you can look at it. This is the same crew that sacrifices themselves for your 4N6BBQ Presents… hot sauce taster posts, so we’ll do another round next time I’m out there.
The Result
Poppers were off, dip has browned a bit.. time to give it a try.
My first bite was one of shock. I didn’t try to make this spicy at all, but it bit pretty hard. Then I realized it was the sheer amount of garlic that gave off that spice. So eight cloves may have been a bit overkill. I didn’t put that much of the Flatiron Pepper flakes on there to result in that kick. (Plus, I can tolerate their hottest offering, so I knew it wasn’t that). The garlic kind of made it super special.. not that MrsForensicBBQ agreed when I got home, but it I loved this one. I’ll put the disclaimer to cut back on garlic in the recipe, but you garlic lovers.. do it my way!
The Recipe
Smoked Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
The Dip
- 1 Bag Frozen Spinach Cheese-cloth drained
- 1 Can Quartered Artichoke Hearts Cheese-cloth drained
- 1 Block Cream Cheese
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
- 8 Cloves Garlic Use 4 or less if you're normal
- 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise Dukes!
- 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
Extra
- 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes -ish, I sprinkled a bit over the top
- 1/8 Cup Parmesan Cheese Topper
- 1/8 Cup Mozzarella Cheese Topper
Instructions
- Fire up the RecTeq Pellet smoker to 225
- Drain your chopped up frozen spinach/artichoke hearts. I used a cheese cloth and really dried 'em out. Throw in a bowl and combine.
- Add the cheeses (cream, mozzarella, parmesan) and garlic. Last reminder to not use 8 like I did unless you're a garlic lover. Combine well.
- Put in a 1/3 pan and in the refrigerator until ready to cook. I made it the night before, turned out just fine.
- When ready, throw an optional cheese topper on and smoke for about 2 hours. (Estimated – we were cooking bacon at same time and fluctuated temperatures.. Pellet perks)
- Enjoy! Bring a breath mint.