Baked Spinach and Artichoke Toasts

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Servings: 18
Yield: 18 servings

Description

Chef John transforms the best baked spinach and artichoke dip into something even better by baking it on crunchy, individually-sized toasts.

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup grated provolone cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for topping
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion, white and light green parts only
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained, and chopped
2 cups chopped marinated artichoke hearts

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (such as Silpat).
2 Cut bread into 1/2-inch slices. Transfer onto the prepared sheet and brush very generously with melted butter until well soaked.
3 Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before topping. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
4 Add cream cheese, Gruyere, provolone, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, green onion, pepper, salt, cayenne, nutmeg, spinach, and artichokes to a mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
5 Use a spoon to top each piece of toast with at least a 1/2-inch thick layer of the cheese, artichoke, and spinach mixture. Grate some extra Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of each toast if desired.
6 Bake in the preheated oven until the tops and bottoms are nicely browned, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.