I’m such a huge fan of spinach artichoke dip. My all-time favorite is still from Houston’s (or Hillstone, depending on where you live). It’s seriously the best I’ve ever had. Cheesy, warm and delicious, especially because they serve theirs with sour cream, salsa and thin and (warm) crispy tortilla chips. I order it every time we go. I wanted to recreate that dip at home, but turn it on it’s head. These Spinach Artichoke Tarts take my favorite dip and bakes it into flaky and crunchy puff pastry shells for the ultimate on-the-go treat, snack or appetizer. I seriously can’t recommend these enough. They’re so good!
Unfold the pastry sheets and slice each sheet into 6 even pieces. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets (six per baking sheet) and then use a sharp pairing knife to cut a border onto each rectangle. Prick the centers with a fork to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and par-bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
**Note: We’re not looking to cook the puff pastry completely at this point. Just looking to set it and give the filling a proper base.**
Set a large skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and add the shallot and garlic. Season lightly with a pinch of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until softened. Reserve 12 artichoke quarters and then chop the rest. Add the chopped artichoke to the skillet along with the spinach and cook for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and set aside.
**Note: It’s crucial to wring out the thawed spinach as much as possible. You don’t want to added any excess moisture to the filling.**
Set a saucepan over medium hight heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds or so, and then slowly whisk in the milk. Season lightly with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and dried basil.
Cook over low heat, stirring often, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese until melted through and smooth.
Fold in the spinach artichoke mixture until evenly combined. give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding salt or pepper as needed.
**Note: At this stage you basically have spinach artichoke dip. You can transfer it to an oven-safe dish, top with more cheese and bake until bubbly Serve with chips, crackers or veggies.**
Press down the centers of the cooled puff pastry shells. Fill each center with the spinach artichoke mixture and top each with a reserved artichoke quarter. Sprinkle the tops with parmesan and bake until deeply golden brown and bubbly.
These are great served warm from the oven, at room temperature or even cold straight from the fridge. They’re also great to have on hand in the freezer. Just rewarm in a 350°F until heated through and serve.
If you’re a big fan of spinach artichoke dip, then these tarts are for YOU. They’re cheesy delicious and out of this world. A bit of crispy bacon would be delicious in this too, if you want to add a bit of meat to these. Either way, you’re going to love them and I can’t recommend them enough. Let me know what you think below and as always, thank you for reading and following along!
Spinach Artichoke Tarts
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
- Fork
- Pastry brush
- skillet
- Saucepan
- whisk
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 (17.3 ounce) box frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 large egg whisked with a slash of water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes divided
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke heart quarters drained
- 1 (12 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Unfold the pastry sheets and slice each sheet into 6 even pieces. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets (six per baking sheet) and then use a sharp pairing knife to cut a border onto each rectangle. Prick the centers with a fork to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and par-bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Set a large skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and add the shallot and garlic. Season lightly with a pinch of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until softened. Reserve 12 artichoke quarters and then chop the rest. Add the chopped artichoke to the skillet along with the spinach and cook for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Set a saucepan over medium hight heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds or so, and then slowly whisk in the milk. Season lightly with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and dried basil. Cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses until melted through. Fold in the spinach artichoke mixture until evenly combined.
- Press down the centers of the cooled puff pastry shells. Fill each center with the spinach artichoke mixture and top each with a reserved artichoke quarter. Sprinkle the tops with parmesan and bake until deeply golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
These are amazing. I loved them hot and at room temperature which makes them a great appetizer. The second t8me I made them smaller for a brunch. Big hit with my friends.
Reading the recipe….are we using a shallot? Not a shallow.
Definitely a shallot! A shallow wouldn’t work in this recipe!
This is the best, well laid out and photographed recipe presentation I have seen on Pinterest ever ! And, I can’t wait to try the recipe – it sounds delicious. Can’t rate it yet but I have high hopes !