Hot & Cheesy Seafood Spinach Dip

Post #2 of 5 in my Five Favorite Things for my Five Thousand Foodie Friends series …

I have to combine some of my favorite things or I’m not going to fit them all in five posts!

I am quite taken with appetizers … little bites … dips … party food! Also I looove seafood … although I don’t cook it that often, since we are quite land-locked and it is difficult to get good seafood here. Unless you count walleye, silver bass, northern pike … THAT is quite attainable in these parts. But I made an exception for this special occasion and splurged on some seafood. Shrimp and crab … ah yes!

This yummy dip also features wine. And cheese. Another two of my foodie flavor loves. And a few veggies, because veggies and I are buddies too.

Let’s put this all together, shall we? Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you … it’s really quite a simple dip. You will be popping it in the oven to heat up in no time … it’s also great as a make-ahead-and-pull-it-out-and-bake-at-serving-time dip.

Hot & Cheesy Seafood Spinach Dip

• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of Chardonnay (or other dry white wine)
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

• 1/3 cup frozen spinach, thawed, with the moisture squeezed out of it
• 1/2 cup white beans (great northern or cannelini beans)
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 oz. light cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

• Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
• 1/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup freshly shredded Romano cheese (or other sharp, hard cheese like Parmesan)
• 1/3 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese (or other soft, melty cheese like Swiss)
• 1 Tablespoon (or more) of fresh snipped dill weed (or 1 teaspoon of dried dill)
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 6-oz. can of crab meat, drained (or 4.25 oz. of fresh crab meat)
• 1/3 cup of pre-cooked shrimp, chopped fine (I used medium frozen shrimp, but you could use any size … if yours are fresh, pre-cook them a little before adding them)

Toppings: a bit of extra shredded Romano and/or gouda cheese, some crushed crackers or breadcrumbs, and some chopped fresh chives and/or dill

Directions:

1. In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, cook the onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the wine and worcestershire sauce and sautee until the liquid evaporates. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine the spinach, white beans, light mayonnaise, and light cream cheese. Whir until well pureed and everything is a fine paste. If the mixture is too thick, add the lemon juice as well and maybe even the yogurt.
3. Now in a medium-sized bowl, mix the sauteed veggies, the pureed mixture, and the remaining ingredients except for the toppings.
4. Spray an oven proof bowl or small casserole with cooking spray and pour the dip into the bowl. Spread it with a spatula till it’s flat, then sprinkle with extra cheese and crushed crackers or bread crumbs.
5. Bake at 400 for 10 – 20 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. Top with the fresh chives and/or dill before serving. It is good to put a shrimp on top to clue everyone in on what they can expect from this luscious dip!

Serve with crackers, toasted pita or bagel chips or vegies. (You can also put it in a mini-crockpot at a party to keep it warm.)

This is even better if you make the dip ahead of time and let the flavors meld overnight (or longer) in the fridge, then pull it out, top it and bake it just before you serve it.

This recipe was shared at Midweek Fiesta, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked Whole Foods Recipe Swap, Tastetastic Thursdays,  Full Plate Thursdays, Fit & Fabulous Fridays, Fabulous Fridays, Weekend Potluck, and Strut your Stuff Saturdays.