Sweet roasted fennel with gooey cheesiness… and some spinach so it looks healthy. 

Roasted Fennel & Spinach Dip

Yield: about 2.5 cups   Prep: 10 minutes   Cook: 30 mins + 20 mins

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium sized fennel bulbs
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup cream cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Roasting the Fennel:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Clean and trim the fennel bulbs. Cut them in half and then in wedges.

Peel and smash the garlic.

Heat an oven safe pan over high heat and add two tbsp of olive oil. Add the fennel and garlic to the pan and season with kosher salt. Sear one side of the fennel until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the fennel over, season the other side, cover the pan, and place it in the oven for 25-30 minutes until fennel is soft.

Turn the heat up to 425F on the oven.

Once the fennel and garlic is roasted, roughly chop it into small pieces. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together until well combined. Fold in the fennel and garlic, parmesan, ¾ cup of Monterey jack, spinach, salt and pepper. Put the mixture in an oven safe dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 and broil an additional 3-5 minutes to brown the cheese on top.

I was looking for a way to change up the traditional spinach dip. A party favourite, I know… but theres always room for improvement.

This was my first time cooking with fennel. I’ve eaten it raw before, in salads and such, but never had it roasted. Its super crunchy and fresh and has a faint taste of licorice. Once its roasted and caramelized it becomes mellow and sweet and the licorice flavor just… goes away.