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Spinach and artichoke are an overlooked combination of delightful flavors.

There may not be a ton of uses for them together, but I was having some jalapeno spinach and artichoke dip the other day and it got me curious as to what other recipes with the two would be good, so this week, we’re going to focus on this combo of veggies and the unique tastes they can bring to your kitchen!

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We’ll start with the most common recipe! A good old fashioned creamy spinach and artichoke dip. My first time trying this was at Old Log Cabin when I worked there, and they make some phenomenal dip! 

It was one of those things that my parents didn’t like,  and I didn’t discover until later on, but boy am I glad I did!

SPINACH & 

ARTICHOKE DIP

6 Tbsp. butter, divided, plus more for greasing

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bag spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cans artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained

3 Tbsp. flour

1 1/2 c. whole milk, plus more if needed

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. crumbled feta

1/2 c. grated parmesan

3/4 c. grated pepper jack cheese, plus more for topping

1/4 tsp. cayenne

Pita wedges, tortilla chips, or crackers, to serve

In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Crank up the heat a bit and throw in the spinach. Stir around and cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts. Remove the spinach from the skillet and put it in a small strainer. Squeeze the excess juice back into the skillet. Set the spinach aside.

Add the artichokes to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, until the liquid is cooked off and the artichokes start to get a little color. Remove the artichokes to a plate. 

In the same skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for a minute or two, then pour in the milk. Stir and cook until slightly thickened; splash in more milk if needed. 

Add the cream cheese, feta, parmesan, pepper jack, and cayenne, and stir until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth. Chop the artichokes and spinach and add them to the sauce. Stir to combine. 

Pour into a buttered baking dish. Top with extra grated pepper jack and bake at 375°F until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Serve with pita wedges, chips, or crackers!

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This next one is very similar, but in a pasta form, so you can have it as a full meal while the dip is maybe a bit more of an appetizer!

It also introduces a couple of new flavors with the spinach and artichoke.

SPINACH & ARTICHOKE PASTA

6 Tbsp. salted butter, divided

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 (5- to 6-oz.) bags baby spinach

2 (15-oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 c. whole milk

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 c. grated mozzarella or monterey jack cheese 

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (optional)

12 oz. penne pasta, cooked until al dente

1/2 c. seasoned panko breadcrumbs, to serve

Crushed red pepper, to taste

In a large pot or skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the spinach from the skillet and set aside. 

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Throw in the artichoke hearts and stir them around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Pour in the milk and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the parmesan, mozzarella, salt and black pepper to taste, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt. If it's overly thick, splash in the chicken broth.

Add the artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in the spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with panko for crunch and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve immediately!

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OK, so this one doesn’t have spinach, but we might as well get all of our artichoke recipes out of the way! And it’s best served with a salad, which can be made up of spinach!

ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

Cooking spray

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

30 butter crackers (such as Ritz; 1 sleeve), crushed

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 c. parsley, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

Black pepper, to taste

6  5-to-6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded lightly to an even thickness

Kosher salt, to taste

1 13.5 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, patted dry and quartered

Green salad, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and half of the parmesan in a medium bowl and mix well.

Combine the cracker crumbs with the rosemary, parsley, remaining parmesan and the melted butter in a separate medium bowl and mix well. Season with pepper. Sprinkle about one-third of the cracker mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.

Place the chicken on top of the crumb mixture in the dish and season lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter the artichokes over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with about 3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs all over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake until the chicken is cooked through, the cream cheese mixture is bubbly and the crumb topping is well browned, about 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve with salad.

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SPINACH & ARTICHOKE TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

1 stick salted butter, plus more for the baking dish

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for the pasta

1 12 oz. package wide egg noodle

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 10 oz. package baby spinach (about 8 packed cups)

1 14 oz. can artichoke quarters, drained, rinsed and chopped

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

4 c. whole milk, warmed

1/4 c. dry sherry

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

3  5-6 oz. cans white albacore tuna in water, drained

1/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

Green salad, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 ̊. Butter a 9-by-13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until starting to turn golden, about 1 minute. Crank up the heat to medium high, add half of the spinach and cook until just starting to wilt, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining spinach and continue cooking until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the spinach from the pot with tongs and put it in a strainer over a bowl. Use the tongs to squeeze the excess liquid into the bowl. Return the liquid to the pot. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the artichokes start to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the artichokes to the strainer with the spinach and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and sherry, whisking until smooth before adding more. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream cheese, whisking to melt. Stir in the tuna, then stir in the spinach and artichokes and half of the parsley. Add the noodles and stir until coated. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Toss with the panko and remaining parsley. Top the casserole with the panko mixture. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

TFD: “Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet to see who they really are.”

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