Spinach and Cream Cheese Appetizers
There are many ways to combine spinach and cream cheese. However, when it comes to showing up to a gathering with a dish, a good cream of spinach can be your answer.
Why is it so great?
Well, unlike other dishes that need fillings, a spreadable cream is more appetizing, addictive and will catch all of your guests’ attention. Also, it’s faster to make!
This cream is also known as a spinach and cheese dip, which may make it sound more familiar. The secret to making it so delicious is to add the right amount of base ingredients and to season it with salt, pepper and fresh garlic. This simple step is what will give it that tasty, creaminess.
In this article, we’ll show you the classic recipe for a spinach and cheese dip that you’ll be able to make in less than a half hour. So, get all of the ingredients, clear your kitchen area and get to work!
Ingredients
- 1 package of spinach (500g)
- 1/4 cup of milk cream (50 g)
- 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese (50 g)
- 2 or 3 cloves of fresh garlic
- 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese (50 g)
- Condiments: salt and pepper
- Optional: 1 stalk of celery (20 g)
Preparation
- Cook the spinach in a pot. Before it starts to boil, add a pinch of salt.
- Once it is ready, strain it well.
- Then, grate both of the cheeses. After, put the grated cheese on a plate and save a pinch of it on another one.
- Put the spinach and the cream in a bowl and mix well with a hand blender.
- Chop the garlic and celery into small pieces and then add it to the spinach cream along with the grated cheese. Mix again so that all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Add a little salt and pepper (as much as you’d like). Stir again.
- Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top and serve.
This spinach and cream cheese can be spread on crackers, bread, cassava, tortillas, nachos, raw vegetable sticks and other snacks. It all just depends on your personal tastes (and those of our guests, of course). We recommend trying it will fried pita bread, since it’s very tasty and addictive.
Variants of spinach and cream cheese
The American version of this cream is made with cream cheese and less garlic. The celery is taken out of it. Instead, it uses:
- 1 pinch of spicy paprika
- Artichoke heart pieces
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (40 g)
- Sour cream (30 ml)
It should be noted that you will need an oven for this version.
There is also a Spanish version that, unlike the previous one, adds more garlic taste (instead of two cloves, it uses two whole pieces of garlic) and includes semi-cured cheese. So, this cream will be a lot more intense and denser.
To make it, you will need:
Spinach and cheese cream: the Spanish version
Ingredients
- 2 pieces of garlic
- 2 1/2 cups of cream cheese (300 g)
- 3/4 cup of semi-cured cheese (150 g)
- 2 cups of fresh spinach (80 g)
- Condiments: salt (to taste)
- Optional: fresh parsley
Preparation
- Wash the spinach and cook it in a pot of water. Once it’s ready, strain it and let it cool at room temperature.
- Then, peel and chop the garlic (not too small).
- Put the cheese, spinach and garlic in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix everything well.
- Add a little salt and continue to beat. Once it’s ready, add a sprig of parsley.
This version of spinach and cheese cream is great with bread, but can also be enjoyed with other crunchy snacks.
Another option is to create a contrast between the cream and a sweet dough base. It’s also great with potato chips!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Naseeb MA., Volpe SL., Protein and exercise in the prevention of sarcopenia and aging. Nutr Res, 2017. 40: 1-20.