by K.L.S.

Created on: October 28, 2009

One of my favorite appetizers to get from any restaurant that offers it is Spinach and Artichoke Dip. I like to serve this dip whenever my family comes over for dinner or when I'm craving something comforting and warm on a cold day. It is also ideal to serve at birthday parties, baby showers or a Super Bowl party. I can eat the entire pie pan by myself which usually leaves my husband speechless and sometimes upset that he didn't get to eat any of it!

What you need:

1 box of spinach, defrosted, drained and water squeezed out
1 c sour cream
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella or swiss of you want to get fancy
1 brick cream cheese
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of Franks red hot sauce or Tabasco sauce. Add more to taste if you like a "kick."
1 14oz can of artichoke hearts, drained

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cube the cream cheese and put it in a food processor along with the sour cream, parmesan cheese, shredded cheese, garlic, pepper and hot sauce. After the mixture is creamy, use a spatula to scrape it into a mixing bowl. Next, put the spinach and artichoke hearts into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped or you can leave the mixture chunky if you prefer. Put the veggie mixture into the cheese mixture and stir with the spatula until blended well. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, smooth it and even it out, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges of the dip bubble and start to brown. Serve with celery sticks, tortilla chips, Ritz crackers, garlic sticks or pretzels for dipping purposes. You can also try serving this dip as a topping on baked chicken breast, adding a small sprinkle of Italian style bread crumbs to the top.

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