Spinach and Artichoke Dip

In an effort to get more posts up there may be fewer pictures for now.

On to the food!

This week I was fortunate enough to host a Tupperware party with some girlfriends. Given that I spend so much time in my kitchen I have no issues spending a bit of money on well-made, durable, and reliable kitchen gadgets. How can I resist buying things from a company whose products have lasted 30+ years with regular use in my own mom’s kitchen? Ya, I thought so. It also gave me an opportunity to make so tasty snacks!

This recipe makes quite a lot of dip and I was worried I would have to throw a lot out. Well, turns out it is fantastic and a room full of girls will do a quick job of eating it up. It’s not as creamy as most restaurants and doesn’t have a heavy taste, I found it to have just the right balance!

This recipe comes from a fellow food-blogger, Brown Eyed Baker.

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained¹
• 1 package (10 oz/500g) frozen, chopped spinach²
• 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 oz (½ block) cream cheese³
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Paprika, salt, pepper

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Serves a crowd

Preheat oven to 350F.

Open your artichoke hearts and drain them well, turn out onto a cutting board and chop finely. Place in a large bowl.

Pour your spinach into a colander in the sink and allow to defrost and drain over several hours. Alternatively you can put the spinach in the microwave for 30 second intervals until you can break it apart with your fingers. Once you’ve reached this step, pour your thawed spinach into a colander and with a few sheets of paper towel squeeze out the moisture. Add spinach to the bowl with the artichokes.

To the bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. Add both of the grated cheeses, reserving a ¼ cup of each to sprinkle over the top. Combine everything with a spatula. Add paprika, salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the mixture into a 1.5 litre casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately with taco chips, crackers, or veggies.

This is all that remained after the party.

Notes:

1. I strangely found the artichokes with the jarred olives and pickles and not with the other canned veggies. So if you can’t find them, try the condiment section. Be sure to get ‘hearts’ and not ‘quarters’.
2. When it comes to draining spinach it’s really a toss up of how much to drain. There is a lot of moisture in the spinach so as long as you’ve given it a good wringing out you’ll be fine.
3. It helps in the mixing stage if the cream cheese is nice and soft so if you’re taking it right out of the fridge, toss it in the microwave for a few seconds