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It’s that time of year where I crave a big bubbling pot of cheese dip. You too? This Spinach Feta Dip is a welcome addition to any party spread or game day celebration. Plus, it has spinach in it, so it’s healthy, right? Right?!
Okay, it’s not exactly health food, but it does have a lot of spinach in it, and the rest of it is worth the extra calories.
A TWIST ON SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP
Instead of making a classic spinach and artichoke dip, I doubled the spinach usually called for and added feta cheese for a saltier dip. (Be careful not to add too much salt while you cook the spinach, since feta is pretty salty on its own.)
If you’re really missing the artichokes, though, go ahead and add a can. Just halve the amount of spinach.
SHOULD I USE FRESH OR FROZEN SPINACH FOR SPINACH FETA DIP?
You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this dip! My preference is fresh, because when you sauté with olive oil and a pinch of salt, it really brings out the spinach flavors.
If you do use frozen spinach, make sure to thaw the spinach completely and press out as much water as you can. Water will ruin the dip and make it too runny. I like to wrap my thawed spinach in paper towels to press out as much liquid as possible.
HOW TO MAKE SPINACH FETA DIP IN THE SLOW COOKER
This dip is perfect for the slow cooker: it’s hands-off and cooks in 90 minutes. All you need to do is stir the dip every 30 minutes or so to make sure it’s melting together evenly. Once the dip has cooked, keep it warm on the lowest slow cooker setting for serving.
SUGGESTIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR SPINACH FETA DIP
If you can’t find feta, you can use Monterey jack, which melts beautifully. You will probably need to add an extra pinch of salt if you do that, though.
MAKE-AHEAD AND STORING SPINACH FETA DIP
You can make this dip entirely in advance; just keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, reheat it gently over low heat on the stovetop or in your slow cooker on the “warm” setting until it comes back to its original deliciousness.
I don’t recommend freezing cheese-based dips like this. They tend to get grainy and lose their creamy texture. But this dip will keep great in the fridge for five to seven days, and I can’t envision a world where your family couldn’t finish it off by then!
MORE CHEESY PARTY DIPS!
Slow Cooker Spinach Feta Dip Recipe
This recipe works best in a smaller 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Double the recipe if your slow cooker is larger or if you want to make more dip for a larger party.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches fresh spinach or 10 ounces frozen spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pita chips or sliced veggies, for serving
Special equipment:
- 3- to 4-quart slow cooker (see Recipe Note)
Method
1 Prep the spinach: If you are using fresh spinach (my preference), trim off any long stems and add the spinach to a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until spinach is completely cooked down, and all the liquid has cooked off.
If you are using frozen spinach, thaw it completely in the microwave, then press the spinach between bunches of paper towels to press out as much liquid as possible. Add the thawed spinach to a skillet with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. The spinach won’t wilt like fresh spinach, but it’s good to season it anyway and cook off any extra water.
2 Add ingredients to a slow cooker: Combine the cream cheese, feta cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, and cooked spinach in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on high for 60 minutes, then turn to low for 30 minutes more, stirring a few times to make sure the dip is cooking evenly.
3 Keep warm until serving: Turn to the Warm setting to keep dip warm until serving. If dip separates slightly, stir it well to recombine.
Serve the dip with pita chips or sliced veggies.
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Nick has been writing delicious recipes for the home cook for almost a decade. He lives in Denver, CO and embraces a delicate balance of diaper changing, trail running and beer drinking. His website is Macheesmo and his first book is Love Your Leftovers.
Slow Cooker Spinach Feta Dip
In the first picture under step 2, there’s something red in the pot with the cheeses. Is there salsa added?
Hi Molly,
Good eye! I don’t know what the mystery red ingredient is in the photo, but we’ll see if we can find out. There’s nothing red in the recipe.
Hi, Molly! I’m Summer an editor here at Simply Recipes. Sara brought your question to my attention and we did a little digging. The original recipe had 2 teaspoons of chili garlic paste added to it but Nick, the recipe, developer nixed the chili paste for the final version. We loaded a photo for his original version! We’ve removed the photo now. Thanks for bringing this mystery to our attention!
Thanks for solving that mystery! It was intriguing for some reason. The chili garlic addition sounds yummy… Guess I’ll have to make it both ways now!
That sounds like a great idea, Molly! You can’t go wrong with multiple dip options!
Look delicious. I usually buy big tubs of Spinach from Costco. How many ounces of fresh spinach would be equal to two bunches?
Paige, I wondered the same thing, then found this in the Spinach, Artichoke Dip with Bacon recipe below: 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped, or 1 12-ounce bunch fresh spinach, finely chopped
Thanks, Laura!
Paige, another thing that will help is looking at the photo above of the raw spinach in the skillet. It’ll give you an idea of the volume. I’d say it’s about 6 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves.