Yes, Canned Spinach Is Totally Fine For Making A Quick And Easy Dip (2024)

Asia McLain

·3 min read

A good spinach artichoke dip's cheesy, salty creaminess has become a delightful mainstay for restaurants, baby showers, and Superbowl parties alike. It's no wonder — the seriously delicious base combination of spinach, artichokes, and cream cheese is quick and easy to make, requires few to no utensils, and is stress-free to serve. While many restaurants have developed their own tasty takes on the simple recipe through the decades, some of the best spinach artichoke dips remain those you make at home.

But what if you're in a bind and don't have any fresh or frozen spinach? The great news is you don't need it — as long as you have canned spinach in your pantry, you can make a spinach artichoke dip that's just as delicious as its fresh spinach counterpart and leagues easier. That's right — with a little preparation, canned spinach will work perfectly well to help you create a flavorful appetizer with no stress but a whole lot of enjoyment.

Read more: 12 Vegetables And Fruits That Used To Look Very Different

How To Make Dip With Canned Spinach

Quick and easy, spinach artichoke dip requires only a few minutes of simple preparation — no need to chop or cook down your spinach. But it's important todrain before using it.If canned spinach is too salty,rinse it under cold waterbefore draining. Once your spinach is drained, combine it with artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and minced garlic, and bake itfor about 25 minutes.

No oven available? No sweat — you can make this flavorful dip as easily in your Crockpot or slow cooker. Simply combine your ingredients in yourslow cooker, cover it, and cook onlow heat for two to three hours or high heat for one houruntil the cheese is completely melted. However, check your dip periodically, asslow cooker temperatures can vary. Then you're ready for some seriously delectable dipping with whatever dippers you like —tortilla chips,homemade naan, even raw veggies. The dip can also be made ahead of time and kept in therefrigerator.

Other Great Ways To Use Canned Spinach

Yes, Canned Spinach Is Totally Fine For Making A Quick And Easy Dip (2)

Canned spinach can come in handy to create many other easy, wonderfully delicious dishes you'll want to sing about as well. Just about any recipe that calls for fresh spinach can be adjusted to substitute canned spinach (just remember to drain, drain, drain!). You can substitute canned spinach for fresh or frozen to create a delectable spinach lasagna, or you can get brunchy with it, using it as your featured vegetable in a delicious quiche or vegetable frittata. Elevate your party menu with some spinach egg rolls using the canned variety. And your best spanakopita recipe can easily use canned spinach instead of fresh or frozen and still be a serious crowd-pleaser. With a little creativity, you can utilize the canned version of this iron-packed food to provide a low-effort, stress-free way to create appetizing dishes that would win the approval of Popeye himself.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.

Yes, Canned Spinach Is Totally Fine For Making A Quick And Easy Dip (2024)

FAQs

Is canned spinach any good? ›

Also, despite the popular belief that "fresh is best," frozen or canned baby spinach has just as many health benefits as fresh, often at less cost. Frozen or canned spinach is also easier to store, and keeps for a long time.

Should you drain canned spinach? ›

"When using canned vegetables, you typically will want to and should drain the vegetables from their brine before using them,” says Chef Matt Bolus of The 404 Kitchen in Nashville. "The canning liquid is made of salt and preservatives.

Can I use canned spinach instead of fresh? ›

Classic creamed spinach recipes call for fresh baby spinach, but canned spinach yields equally delicious results. This swap works because the creamy sauce, spiced up with a bit of salt, pepper, and nutmeg, does a great job hiding any taste differences.

Do you have to cook frozen spinach for dip? ›

The recipe calls for frozen chopped spinach that has been cooked, cooled, and squeezed dry. I have never bothered with cooking the spinach for this dip and I love how it tastes. I just thaw the spinach and turn it out onto a newly washed clean towel, right next to the sink.

Can you eat spinach straight from the can? ›

It is already washed and ready to eat, saving time in the kitchen. Canned spinach has a longer shelf life than fresh spinach, so it can be a good option when the fresh one is unavailable. Canned spinach can be used in various recipes or eaten on its own as a side dish.

Can you eat too much canned spinach? ›

What's bad about spinach? If you eat spinach every day in excessive amounts (more than a bowl) there can be adverse health effects. Most commonly these include gas, bloating and cramps due to its high fiber content. Eating too much spinach can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

What is the liquid in canned spinach? ›

Mostly water

You list the WATER as the second ingredient, however when I drained the liquid into a container it was heavier & more than the spinach.

Should you rinse canned vegetables? ›

Draining and rinsing of canned vegetables can reduce the sodium content from 9 23%. Analytical values for the three vegetables tested were lower than that declared on the label. Of all the nutrients tested, vitamin C decreased from 5-28% with draining and rinsing.

Is canned spinach good for your gut? ›

The Bottom Line

Spinach is a versatile and nutritious vegetable that can benefit gut health. It's a good source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and is low in FODMAPs, making it an excellent choice for those with digestive issues.

Which is better canned or frozen spinach? ›

We prefer frozen spinach over canned because it has better flavor and is lower in sodium. Plus, 1 cup of frozen spinach has more than four times the amount of nutrients—including fiber, folate, iron and calcium—compared to a cup of fresh spinach, so if you want to power up, do it with frozen spinach.

Is spinach in a can already cooked? ›

Store-bought canned spinach is fully cooked. To cook, simply place the spinach, along with the liquid from the can, into a saucepan and cook until heated through. Drain and serve.

Is fresh or frozen spinach better in dip? ›

I've been making spinach dip for years, but using fresh baby spinach in place of frozen, chopped spinach makes all the difference! If you've got a few extra moments, I highly recommend using fresh.

What does one pound of spinach look like? ›

Educate Your Eye: 1 Pound of Spinach

One pound of spinach (with the stems still attached) is about two large bundles or bouquets, each only slightly too large to wrap one hand around. Think about holding the contents of two boxes of spaghetti in your hands; that's about the size of one bundle.

Do I heat up spinach dip? ›

Yes! Spinach and Artichoke Dip reheats really well. You can completely make dip ahead, transfer to whatever dish you want to reheat it in (or leave it in the pot), let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.

What's better, canned spinach or frozen spinach? ›

We prefer frozen spinach over canned because it has better flavor and is lower in sodium. Plus, 1 cup of frozen spinach has more than four times the amount of nutrients—including fiber, folate, iron and calcium—compared to a cup of fresh spinach, so if you want to power up, do it with frozen spinach.

Is canned spinach considered processed food? ›

It could be anything from packaged spinach in a bag or a container all the way to a pastry or frozen pizza.” Processed foods generally have been altered during preparation, whether by freezing, canning, baking or drying.

Does canned spinach have as much iron in it as fresh spinach? ›

So what's the truth about spinach's iron content? According to the USDA, there are: 6.43 milligrams in one cup cooked fresh spinach. 4.92 milligrams in one cup canned spinach.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Foster Heidenreich CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5450

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Foster Heidenreich CPA

Birthday: 1995-01-14

Address: 55021 Usha Garden, North Larisa, DE 19209

Phone: +6812240846623

Job: Corporate Healthcare Strategist

Hobby: Singing, Listening to music, Rafting, LARPing, Gardening, Quilting, Rappelling

Introduction: My name is Foster Heidenreich CPA, I am a delightful, quaint, glorious, quaint, faithful, enchanting, fine person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.