Appetizers are always a crowd pleaser. With a certain big football game coming up, I’ll probably be setting out a few snacks to eat in front of the tv soon.
But sporting events are not the only time we like to eat appetizer-style foods. My family likes them so much that we’ve been known to serve all-appetizer meals for holidays, forgoing traditional ham or turkey dinners. Our Christmas or Easter appetizer-dinner spread includes foods such as slider sandwiches, cocktail shrimp, deviled eggs, veggies and dip, meat and cheese trays, fresh fruit, and sometimes even some homemade quick breads for diners with a sweet tooth.
One of the more popular appetizers is spinach and artichoke dip. This creamy dip features shredded bits of spinach and pieces of artichoke hearts, usually complemented with some melty cheese and seasonings such as garlic. You can dip a lot of foods in spinach and artichoke dip: pita bread, crackers, tortilla chips, or even veggies such as carrot sticks or sliced cucumbers if you want a lower-carb option.
Spinach and artichoke dip is on the menu at many chain restaurants such as Applebee’s and Olive Garden, or you can make it yourself using common ingredients purchase at the grocery store. You can also buy spinach and artichoke dip at the grocery store. Aldi has sold a few ready-made versions over the years, including dips that are either frozen or refrigerated. Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi, also sells its own spinach and artichoke dip.
Recently, Aldi stocked a limited-edition frozen spinach and artichoke dip just in time to enjoy while watching the football game, or maybe just the commercials, depending on how much of a sports fan you are.
Appetitos Spinach & Artichoke Dip cost $4.99 at the time of publication. The package states this is “perfect for gatherings” and describes this as “spinach & artichoke blended in a cream sauce.”
This is an Aldi Find, so it’s only in stores for a short time. Each store receives one shipment, and after that sells out, it’s gone until the next time Aldi decides to stock it. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that are not in stock at your local store.
Appetitos is not a company. Instead, it’s the private label Aldi uses for various frozen appetizers such as spring rolls, everything franks in a blanket, pretzel bites, mozzarella cheese sticks, and more.
Nutrition information, ingredients, and heating instructions. (Click to enlarge.)
If you’re looking out for allergens, this dip contains milk.
Other ingredients are fairly straightforward and include cream cheese, half and half, spinach, artichoke, grated parmesan cheese, anticaking agent, Swiss cheese, onion, corn starch, sea salt, and white pepper.
One package contains about nine 2-tablespoon servings. One serving has 60 calories, 5 grams of total fat (6% DV), 3.5 grams of saturated fat (18% DV), 190 mg of sodium (8% DV), 1 gram of total sugars, no added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
The box has instructions for heating this dip from frozen in the microwave. Remove the plastic packaging. Place the black tray in the microwave and heat for 2 minutes on high. Carefully stir and heat an additional 2 minutes. Stir well and check to see if the temperature is 165 degrees. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
After microwaving.
This bubbled over a little in the microwave, so I recommend placing it on a plate to help catch spills. Otherwise, this dip turned out great, and my family ate it all in one sitting with some Aldi restaurant-style tortilla chips. It’s creamy, with plenty of spinach and artichoke flavor, and it’s well seasoned. This dip is as good as many restaurant spinach and artichoke dips we’ve tried, and you can’t go wrong serving this at any kind of gathering.
The Verdict:
Appetitos Spinach & Artichoke Dip is sold frozen and heats easily in the microwave. It’s got good flavor with spinach, artichoke, and seasonings all in a creamy base. Serve it as an appetizer, side dish, or snack with crackers, pita bread, chips, or veggies.
