by Sue Colerick

Created on: July 21, 2010

A party is in the making and it is your turn to bring the party dip to go with the usual chips and veggies. You don't want to go with the old stand by of store bought ranch or french onion dip for this special group of friends and decide to make a delicious cheesy spinach and artichoke hot dip.  Get ready for the "yummy" noises as this special party dip is gobbled up leaving you with big smiles from party goers and an empty dip dish. Don't be surprised if they look for more!

The following recipe is an adaptation from the Betty Crocker cookbook and will "wow" your taste buds.

 Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (may substitute with lowfat mayonnaise but do not recommend fat free for this recipe)

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing (may substitute with lowfat ranch dressing)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheeses (or a combination of all three)

1 can (14 oz) or 1 jar (12 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 box (9-10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain

1/3 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese for topping

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix together mayonnaise, ranch salad dressing, and Parmesan combo of cheeses in a bowl.

3. Stir in artichoke hearts and drained spinach; doing a quick stir just to blend the ingredients.

4.  Spoon entire mixture into a 1-quart casserole and sprinkle with Monterrey cheese.

5.  Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve the dip warm with baguette slices, pita bread, crackers, or veggies. Refrigerate any unused portions immediately. This dip can easily be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Want some added crunch to your dip? Then add a can of water chestnuts (which has been drained and chopped) along with the artichoke hearts & spinach in step 3.

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