Spinach Artichoke Dip Baked Potatoes

January second year married. The daycare had post-holiday chaos for two weeks and then settled, the kids back in routine and the staff back in routine, and on the third week everything was ordinary again in the good way. I have been at the daycare eight years in September. Eight years in one place. That continues to be remarkable to me. I have been somewhere for eight years.

Tyler was promoted at the shop this week. Not foreman yet but assistant lead, which comes with a small pay raise and more responsibility. He called me from the shop to tell me and I could hear the careful pride in his voice, the kind of pride that is not quite sure it is allowed to be proud yet. I said it is allowed. He said what. I said you are allowed to be proud of yourself. He laughed and said how did you know that. I said I know you. He said yes, I do.

Made a celebration dinner. Roast chicken, which is the most celebration-appropriate ordinary dinner. A whole chicken roasted with butter and herbs and garlic and lemon, the skin crisp and the inside falling off the bone. I served it with roasted potatoes and a simple green salad. Tyler ate two portions and said he was not sure if the promotion or the chicken was the best thing that happened today. I said the promotion. He said yes, probably. But the chicken was excellent.

Tyler’s careful, almost-not-sure-it’s-allowed pride deserved a dinner that felt like more than Tuesday — and while the roast chicken was the centerpiece, I wanted the sides to hold their own. I’d been eyeing this recipe for spinach artichoke dip baked potatoes for weeks, and a promotion dinner felt like exactly the right excuse. Everything about them — the crispy skin, the creamy filling, the way they smell coming out of the oven — feels like a celebration without requiring much fuss, which is exactly the kind of cooking I love best.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min | Total Time: 1 hr 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub potatoes all over with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 55–65 minutes, until a fork slides through the center without resistance and the skin is crisp.
Make the spinach artichoke filling. While potatoes bake, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in the squeezed spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, 3/4 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, garlic, red pepper flakes if using, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Hollow the potatoes. Remove baked potatoes from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice each potato lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Add the scooped potato flesh to the spinach artichoke filling and stir to combine.
Fill and top. Spoon the filling generously back into each potato shell, mounding it above the rim. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over the tops.
Broil until golden. Switch the oven to broil on high. Place filled potatoes on a baking sheet and broil for 3–5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden in spots.
Garnish and serve. Remove from the oven, scatter fresh chives over each potato, and serve immediately while the filling is still hot and creamy.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spinach Artichoke Dip Baked Potatoes — The Side Dish That Almost Stole the Show