Baked Spinach and Artichoke Toasts

One of my favorite things to do is converting, or as we call it in the business, “reimagining” famous sandwiches into party dips. We’ve done this very successfully (or at least I think so) with the Reuben, Sloppy Joe, and Philly Cheesesteak. This time, we are sort of going in the opposite direction. We’re turning a popular hot dip into these Baked Spinach and Artichoke Toasts.

Besides being more user friendly, the great advantage of enjoying hot spinach and artichoke dip in this format is that every bite contains the best part of the original recipe (that crusty, golden-brown top). Of course, the trade-off here is that your guests are not able to load up each piece of toast with as much as they want. But what they lose in freedom, I think they more than make up for with not having to watch people go two-knuckles deep into the dip.

I think a few trays of these would make for a great Christmas Eve snack or New Year’s Eve appetizer, and if you are going to utilize them for such occasions, you’ll be happy to know they can be made well ahead of time. You can make the dip mixture and then spread and bake when you’re ready. Or you can spread and bake ahead of time, then reheat and re-crisp them before serving. As long as your toasts were well-buttered, and cooked nice and crispy, they will hold up beautifully.

Other cheese-friendly vegetables like mushrooms and roasted peppers would also work very well in these, just as long as whatever you're tossing in isn't adding too much extra moisture. Regardless of what you add, I really do hope you give these try soon. Enjoy!

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