Spinach & Artichoke Dip Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This is one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had!! It combines two of my favorite things; spinach and artichoke dip with grilled cheese. Put the two of these together and the result is nothing short of epic!

Ingredients

• Sourdough bread-slightly sour in taste, dense enough to handle the cheese and dip, and a great compliment to all of the ingredients
• Fontina cheese-a creamy cheese that is on the softer side with a slightly nutty taste
• Asiago cheese- aged cheese that adds depth to the spinach and artichoke dip
• White cheddar cheese- bold and flavorful, a great contrast to the asiago
• Cream cheese- very soft and creamy cheese made of milk and cream that acts as the binding agent in the spinach and artichoke dip
• Spinach- this leafy green is one of the main ingredients for the dip, it's nutrient-rich with a mild taste
• Artichoke- herbaceous and slightly sweet; another main ingredient in the spinach and artichoke dip
• Granulated garlic-adds bold flavor to the dip
• Chili Powder-adds a bit of spice to the dip
• Pepper- adds some depth and spice

What is a spinach & artichoke grilled cheese sandwich?

The name suggests exactly what the sandwich is! Think about hot spinach and artichoke dip filled with cheeses and the distinct yet subtle tastes of spinach and artichoke along with plenty of garlic. Now, think of this mixture alongside even more cheese and the addition of hot buttered bread that has been crisped on a griddle. All of the melty cheeses in one create a mind-blowing sandwich that is truly a show-stopper.

White cheeses are used in this sandwich to show the dynamic balance between all of the ingredients.

These can be made using a griddle or nonstick pan; the recipe makes 4 sandwiches so if you'd like to make all of them at once and you have a griddle on hand, use it!

How to make Spinach and Artichoke dip easy

The best way to make this dip for the sandwich is to combine everything in a food processor and pulse it together. Doing it this way will cut down tremendously on time and effort!

If using a food processor is not an option or you simply don't feel like taking it out, you can also put everything into a bowl and mix it up this way. If you use the second method, ensure the cream cheese has softened. Additionally, using a fork is the best tool to incorporate everything in the easiest way possible.

How to assemble a spinach and artichoke dip grilled cheese sandwich

1. Before you do anything, take out the cream cheese and let it soften ahead of time. this will make your life so much easier if you're blending everything together with a fork.
2. The first thing you'll need to do is complete all of the prep work involved-this means roughly chopping the spinach and the artichokes as well as shredding and slicing the cheese. If your bread is in a loaf this would be a good time to slice it as well. My bread came pre-sliced into about half-inch thick slices.
3. Next, combine all of the ingredients for the dip into a bowl and mix it well with a fork. Alternatively; combine the dip ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.
4. The last step of this process involves specific instructions for assembling the sandwich: this recipe makes four sandwiches so use a quarter of the amount of dip for each sandwich along with one piece of cheese. Spread the artichoke and spinach dip onto a slice of bread and place it on a hot, buttered griddle. Place a slice of cheese on top along with another slice of bread. Once the bread is golden bread on one side, flip the entire sandwich over to cook the other side. For reference, the temperature of my griddle was 375 degrees.

Important tips for Spinach & Artichoke dip grilled cheese sandwiches

• Do not use marinated artichokes for this recipe-use the ones that just come in water (canned or jarred).
• No salt is needed for this recipe, the cheese provides more than enough!
• slice the fontina cheese instead of trying to grate it-this cheese is on the softer side so grating it can be complicated. I recommend using it as your sliced cheese, the bonus is that it melts fast!

Variations

Different types of cheese would work very well in this sandwich. I would definitely stick to white, milder cheeses for this sandwich. If you like the taste of a more bold cheese in particular, I would use that one inside the dip and the two milder kinds of cheese to accompany. For example, use a shredded white cheddar with a romano inside the dip and fontina as the sliced cheese.

Bread choice is key here and very important to the integrity of the sandwich. You'll want to make sure that the type of bread you choose can hold up to the amount of oozing deliciousness within. For this reason, I like the sturdiness and density of sourdough bread. I find that this type of bread in particular compliments the cheese and the dip. It's not super dense, nor is it thin like sliced white bread. Either way, make sure that each slice is thick enough to be able to act as a barrier for the cheese and dip-basically, you don't want to have a soggy sandwich.

Substitutions

Frozen spinach can be used, however; be sure to defrost the spinach and use a cheesecloth or some sort of strainer to get rid of the excess water. If using frozen spinach be advised that the amount will change as the texture will be completely different than that of fresh spinach; use ½ cup frozen (defrosted) spinach for every cup.

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