The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip Ever (The Pioneer Woman)

This really is the best spinach artichoke dip I've ever tried. Wow.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons butter
• 4  tablespoons garlic, minced
• 10  ounces spinach
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste
• 17  ounces artichoke hearts
• 3  tablespoons butter (additiona)
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups  whole milk
• 8  ounces  softened cream cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  crumbled feta
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese
• 3⁄4 cup  grated monterey jack pepper cheese
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  extra grated monterey jack pepper cheese
•  pita bread, wedges tortilla chips or   cracker, for serving

Directions

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Crank up the heat a bit and throw in the spinach. Stir around and cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts.
4. Remove the spinach from the skillet and put it in a small strainer. Squeeze the excess juice back into the skillet. Set the spinach aside.
5. Throw in the artichokes and cook over medium high heat for several minutes, until liquid is cooked off and artichokes start to get a little color. Remove the artichokes.
6. In the same skillet or a different pot, melt 3 additional tablespoons of butter and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low for a minute or two, then pour in milk. Stir and cook until slightly thickened and splash in more milk if needed.
7. Add cream cheese, feta, Parmesan, pepper jack, and cayenne and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Chop artichokes and spinach and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.
8. Pour into buttered baking dish. Top with extra grated pepper jack and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
9. Serve with pita wedges, chips, or crackers.