Spinach Artichoke Dip with Crispy Bacon

If you like regular Spinach Artichoke Dip, you will love this version with smoked bacon, garlic-herb cream cheese, and parmesan cheese. High in protein and fat, it is a great recipe to replenish your energy stores during periods of intense training.

What Makes Spinach Artichoke Dip a Favorite

Spinach artichoke dip is a popular appetizer and party food for many reasons. To start, you make it by mixing mouth-watering ingredients like cream cheese, mayonnaise, and grated cheese, and then bake the mixture until it is hot and bubbly. The result is a warm, creamy, and flavorful dip perfect for sharing with friends and family. It hits all the taste buds!

Spinach artichoke dip is often served with tortilla chips, crackers, or sliced bread, but the sky's the limit as far as what you can do with it.

Original Uses for Spinach Artichoke Dip

Here are a few original ways to use spinach artichoke dip:

As a topping for baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.

• As a filling for stuffed mushrooms or chicken breasts.
• Mixed into mac and cheese for a creamy, veggie-packed twist.
• As a sandwich spread or wrap filling.
• As a topping for bruschetta.
• As a sauce for pasta or pizza.
• As a dip for raw vegetables or pita chips.

Let us know your favorite ways to use this popular appetizer so we can add them to the list!

Are Fresh and Canned Artichokes Just as Good?

Fresh artichokes can be complicated to prepare and eat because of their tough, spiky exterior and fibrous inner structure. They need to be trimmed, boiled, steamed, or roasted, and you need to scoop out the hair choke with a spoon.

Canned artichokes are still a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and are much easier to prepare and eat. Simply drain them off their water, and use them in your favorite recipes.

As for whether water-packed or oil-packed artichokes are better, it will depend on your personal preference. In this recipe, we prefer to use water-packed artichokes as they tend to have a lighter, fresher taste and a firmer texture, letting their flavor shine through.

Oil-packed artichokes are often packed with herbs and spices, which can be overpowering. They also add fats and calories to the nutritional breakdown.