Costco Eats: Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip

Oh, what the heck. As a hana hou (encore) entry to the last write-up on a Costco item, this time we have Stonemill® Kitchens Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip.

I love cheese as much as I love Costco, and between them, Safeway, Foodland, and the new kid in town Whole Foods in Kahala, I could probably write a new product review every HOUR on just gourmet cheeses alone if time permitted.

Not that this is classified as gourmet cheese, but once you taste it, I think you’ll agree it’s just as satisfying as a good slice of Gouda or Brie, if not more, thanks to the sum of its parts.

Let’s look at the label on the container…

Stonemill® Kitchens Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip, $7.59/30 oz. tub @ Costco Hawaii Kai

How did I discover this product? By the sample lady of course! Isn’t that how we all get hooked-in?

You know how there’s those food samples that are pretty good in a “Yeah, that hit the spot. Great, now I don’t need to buy lunch!” kinda’ way. But not really good enough where you actually buy the product. Then there’s those samples that are like POW!!!! After one or two bites, SOLD!

Well that’s exactly how it was for me after sampling a cracker topped with this stuff. That’s why sometimes I purposely AVOID the food sample stations along the front of the main aisle. Too tempting.

If you’re a Costco regular, you’ve probably at least tried, if not bought the Seafood Dip and Spinach Dip from there. Those are OK, but after halfway through the tub, I quickly get sick of them and end up giving the rest away. I’m sure you could doctor them up to make them more interesting, but I was never inclined to try that.

This Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip needs no doctoring whatsoever. The primary reason being this really is a PARMESAN DIP, where the Spinach & Artichokes have supporting roles, while the Parm’ is the star. Therefore it’s power-packed with flavor right off the showroom floor. It’s just ooey-gooey cheesy delicioso!

The pungent, bold (melted) Parmesan, accented by the buttery-savory artichokes, and rounded out by the earthy-green flavor and texture of the spinach is pure genius spread on a cracker.

According to the label, the key ingredients listed are: Parmesan Cheese, Mayonnaise, Water, Artichoke Hearts, Garlic, Dehydrated Spinach, Salt, and a few chemicals I can’t pronounce and don’t wanna’ know about.

2 tablespoons provide 100 calories, with 80 of that being fat calories. Total fat is 9 grams, with 3 grams of that saturated and 0 grams trans fat. There’s 15 mg cholesterol and 220mg sodium, which is 9% daily value. Thankfully you also get 10% vitamin A, 6% vitamin C, 10% calcium and 2% iron in that same 2 tablespoon serving.

Because of that Parmesan foundation (notice the larger font size on the label), it’s best to serve it heated up. When it’s cold (this is a refrigerated product), straight out of the tub it looks like this…

1 tablespoon SAP Dip cold

See how it’s all congealed. Here you can sort of see the large gratings of real Parmesan.

It only takes seconds in the microwave to melt it down to an ooey-gooey spreadable consistency…

1 tablespoon SAP Dip heated in microwave for 10 seconds.

See the cheese pull…

I might add because it’s Parmesan, this dip is on the salty side, so obviously use a cracker or other vessel that isn’t that salty. I already threw away the box and forget the brand, but these are those multi-grain crackers that come in the variety pack in Costco for like $6 or $7. It’s the cracker they use to serve many of their samples.

Like most other food products nowadays, Stonemill offers an alternative serving idea for this dip with this Quiche recipe provided on a handy-dandy peel-away label in back…

By the way, I was just doing some shopping this past Sunday at the Kapahulu Safeway, where they had this same product in a 10 oz. tub for about $5.50. So for just $2 more you can get three times as much at Costco.

I must admit, the product is very rich, and I can only handle maybe 4-6 crackers worth in one sitting. But for that brief moment in time, this Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip is pure bliss.

What? Stonemill® Kitchens Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip
From where did you buy it and how much did it cost? Costco Hawaii Kai, $7.59/30 oz. tub
Big Shaka to: Ooey-gooey, Parmesan-Cheesy delicious. Tender, savory-buttery artichokes & earthy-green-toned spinach are the perfect marriage with the rich and bold Parm’. Perfect balance of the key ingredients. Ready to serve. Melts quickly. This could probably make a tennis shoe taste good. Peel-away Quiche recipe included on packaging. Comparably-exceptional value at Costco. Sample ladies. Not having to buy lunch after getting full from samples at Costco.
No shaka to: Too rich and salty to eat more than a few tablespoons in one sitting. Eating tennis shoes. Spending more money than I originally intended to thanks to the sample lady. People who vulture and hog-out at the sample stations.
The Tasty Island rating: 5

P.S. In case you’re gonna ask if I work for, or am affiliated with Costco? No I’m not. Just a regular paying member/customer like the rest of us. But if they ever have offers to buy or rent a condo unit in there, show where to sign up!