Artichoke and Spinach Dip Pizza

Artichoke and Spinach Dip is an extremely popular appetizer served at many family-style restaurants.  But, why not make that delicious dip into a meal with an easy-to-make Artichoke and Spinach Dip Pizza!? Top with sun dried tomatoes and fresh parmesan for even more flavour!

We all know that the past few years have seen a lot of recipes with the following two ingredients – artichokes and spinach!  I’m not one to shy away from the combination of artichokes and spinach, but sometimes, Dear Reader, repetition of the same approach becomes boring.  That’s why I jazzed up a pizza with my homemade Artichoke and Spinach Dip.

Let me start by sharing a little secret with you – at my place of work, I’m the king of Artichoke and Spinach Dip.  Every time we have a work function, I’m always asked to bring in this dip.  And every time I do, someone tries their best to get me to reveal my recipe, but I’ve been keeping it a secret for a very long time – at least 10 years!  But today, I’m going to share it with you, Dear Reader!

It’s not because my version of the popular restaurant appetizer is any better than all of the other versions out there.  (Okay, I’m not going to pretend to be all modest and humble, it’s because my dip IS better!)  It’s because I love the fact that the dip is so loved by my workmates and my family, and I really enjoy being able to bring a big bowl of happiness to any function I’m a part of.  

Now, this dip is so good and so versatile.  You can do almost anything with it.  My favourite way is to bake it until it’s really hot and then use tortilla chips or very thinly sliced baguette as a vessel to scoop the glorious dip into my mouth.  But, today, I thought I would share something different with you.  Today, I’m introducing my Artichoke and Spinach Dip Pizza!!

HOMEMADE PIZZA USING ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH DIP

With this pizza, you get to eat your appetizer and your main all-in-one dish!  I believe that means you can eat more… right?  😉  Either way you ‘slice’ it, this pizza is sure to be a favourite mealtime staple! Can I offer just one tidbit of advice, though?  Double up on this recipe, take half, and store it in a food-safe container.  It will last in the fridge for a few days.  When you’re ready to enjoy more of this dip, place it in an oven-proof dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

For the pizza though, you’re going to need to portion out about two cups – depending on how thick, or how much of the Artichoke and Spinach Dip you want on your pizza.  I try to aim for at least a cup for each pizza. Now, as you can see from the photos, you are not just limited to smearing the dip on the pizza and calling it a day, although I have done that in the past and it’s quite good.  This time, I wanted to showcase how you can jazz it up and make it your own.

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

• Artichoke and Spinach Dip – Do not use store-bought dip for this pizza unless you know for certain that it is a thick dip that is meant to be baked first. Some deli-style dips are too runny. If you know of a frozen dip that has to be baked at home before eating, that one will do. Just let it thaw completely and use it on your pizza as per the directions in the recipe card below.
• Pizza Crust or Dough – You can make your own pizza dough as outlined above or you can buy pre-made pizza crusts or frozen pizza dough.
• Pizza Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese – I like to buy a ball of mozzarella and slice it thinly. Shredded mozzerella will work too, but it’s not as stretchy and gooey when baked.
• Olive Oil
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes – The type that you can buy in a jar, packed in oil, is the best here.
• Artichoke Hearts – Buy the ones packed in water. The marinated type will throw off the flavour.
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – These are optional.
• Parmesan Cheese
• Parsley

HOW TO MAKE ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH DIP PIZZA

Preheat the oven to the temperature your store-bought pizza crust or pizza dough requires in the instructions found on the packaging. If you would like to use the pizza sauce on your pizzas, go ahead and spread the sauce onto the pizza crust. (Please note that I made one pizza with pizza sauce and the other without, which you can see in the photographs.)

Place half of the mozzarella slices on one pizza and the other half on the other. Next, evenly distribute the spinach and artichoke dip over the two pizzas using a teaspoon to dollop little amounts over the entire surface area, leaving about 1/2 inch around the perimeter. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over each pizza. Top both pizzas with the sun dried tomatoes, and half of the quartered artichokes. Sprinkle over the dried red chili flakes and bake for the recommended time on the pizza crust packaging.

Remove from oven and place on a cutting board. Cut evenly into 8 slices and top with fresh parmesan and chopped parsley.

MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA CRUST OR BUY IT PRE-MADE!

I should also mention, that I usually make my own pizza crust.  In the case that I buy it, there two brands of pre-made/partially-baked pizza crusts that we all love.  They’re great and help to make pizza night so much more enjoyable and easy.  For the prepared pizza crusts, we prefer the Mama Mary’s thin crust, or if you’re in Canada, you can’t go wrong with the thin crust President’s Choice brand – it’s perfect every single time!

You should not shy away from making your own pizza crust at home. It really is quite simple! My pizza dough recipe is going to be your new favourite pizza dough – trust me!  The dough takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.  And, you can load the crust with seasonings like oregano, basil, and even dried red chili flakes for some heat!

To make homemade dough, fill a glass or metal mixing bowl with hot tap water. This will temper the bowl which is important to yeast activation and growth. Measure out 3/4 cup of water that’s 110 degrees F. Pour the water out of the bowl. Place one teaspoon of sugar into the bottom of the bowl and pour over the 3/4 cup of water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast over the surface of the water and let sit for two minutes.

Next, whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and any seasonings you would like too. Use a wooden spoon to stir the flour into the water and oil until the liquid is absorbed. Use your hand to knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside to rise for 15 minutes. (Be sure to keep away from drafts or an open window.) Then, it’s ready to roll out and assemble your pizza! If you are using my homemade pizza dough, you will need to bake the pizza at 500 degrees F for about 10 minutes.