We’ve always loved warm, cheesy (but not too cheesy) spinach dip. It’s frequently on restaurant menus, but when was the last time you had a spinach (or spinach & artichoke) dip appetizer that you fell in love with? For us, it was over 10 years ago while we were on a road trip from Detroit to the tip-top of Michigan to board a ferry to Canada en route to our family’s cabin on Manitoulin Island. We stopped into Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse, having absolutely no idea it was such a massive chain in Canada. We fell in love with their warm, cheesy spinach dip with bits of red peppers & served with fried pita chips.

Luckily, we found an ingredient list online & over time our family has perfected the recipe to our liking even more than that first bite. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! It’s a tradition to make it as an appetizer with our mom before we all jump into the hectic behavior that is cooking Thanksgiving dinner. We hope you find a way to make this tasty treat a tradition in your own home too!

Copycat Kelsey’s four-cheese spinach dip

Prep time: 10-15 minutes depending on your knife skills
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 4-6 as an appetizer!

Ingredients
16 oz. cream cheese
1.5 teaspoons of garlic powder
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1 cup grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
1 finely chopped sweet red pepper (remove the core & seeds)
4-5 finely chopped green onions (including some of the white part!)
1 package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeeze-dried with a cheese cloth)
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (added on top / as much as needed)
4-6 Middle Eastern flatbread or pita bread – we love this one from Trader Joe’s
Olive oil to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set cream cheese out a bit before you get started so it’s easier to mix.
Mix cream cheese, garlic powder, parmesan, and pecorino romano cheese by hand or with stand mixer on medium until softened and well-mixed.
Add sharp cheddar cheese, red pepper, and green onions and mix on medium-low (or by hand) until incorporated.
Add thawed and squeeze-dried spinach on low (or by hand) until incorporated.
Transfer mixture to a small oven-safe dish and sprinkle cayenne pepper on over the top. We do a fairly thick layer so you can barely see the dip underneath.
Bake for 15-20 minutes – you’ll know to pull it out when you see bubbling around the edges.
While the dip is baking, brush the Middle Eastern flatbread with olive oil, cut into bite-sized wedges, and line on a baking sheet.
Bake for 4-5 minutes and flip halfway through when golden brown.
Remove spinach dip and flatbread/pita bread from oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

We can’t wait for you to try this delicious appetizer & let us know how you like it!! Don’t be shy with the red pepper & green onions – the more the merrier in our opinions!