It is football playoff season and you know what that means…appetizers! I have several great recipes for appetizers to share with you this month leading up to Super Bowl weekend. Matt and I have been toughing it out for you the last couple of weekends and have had a few meals of just appetizers so I could share these with you. It’s been real tough… you’re welcome! We are going to start this Superbowl party off with one of my all-time favorite dips, the spinach artichoke dip.
There was a time period that this was one of those appetizers I would always order off a restaurant’s menu. In college, two of our local bars had the most amazing spinach artichokes dips. They both had a cream cheese base with big chunks of artichoke hearts and not too much spinach. Served with either slices of toasted french bread or tortilla chips, I could not get enough of these dips!
I have played around with several recipes over the years trying to recreate the creaminess and thickness that the dip had from those bars. I think I have come really close with this recipe. I have brought this dip to several different parties and it is always gone within minutes.
The best part about this dip (besides the dip itself!) is that it is so easy to put together and it can be done ahead of time. I am one of those people who goes frantic an hour before I am hosting a party so I have learned to serve things I can make ahead. This helps me actually enjoy the party I am throwing. It can be put together the day before and once it is constructed, you just cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.
When I am making the dip for just Matt and myself, I either make half the recipe or split the dip into two dishes and freeze one. The leftover dip can be reheated and enjoyed again. It is a very forgivable dish. Serve it with tortilla chips, toasted French bread slices, crostini, pita chips, and or veggies. Goooo football teams to be determined and even more so, bring on the appetizers!
- ½ cup light sour cream
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 -14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1- 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 2 -8 oz. packages ⅓ less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, pepper, artichokes, spinach, and cream cheese.
- Add in 1½ cup of the shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup of the shredded Parmesan to the dip mixture.
- Take dip mixture and spread out into an oven-safe 1½-quart casserole pan or baking dish.
- Sprinkle with remained mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
- Serve with tortilla chips, toasted French bread slices, crostini, pita chips, and/or veggies.
Source– Adapted from Cooking Light
