Spinach Artichoke Dip

Need a quick and easy appetizer for a holiday party or maybe for a watch party this weekend?  Dips are always a good pick and this one is especially good.  I like to think that it is healthy too since it has spinach and artichokes in it...forget about all of the other ingredients that area added to it to make it taste good.

 

I made this dip for the first time several years ago when I saw it on a flyer at the grocery store and since then I have changed it several times and now I finally have the one that I am sticking to.  I have changed the ingredients a bit and also made it a little speedier for preparing last minute.  No need for baking in the oven when you can use the microwave! 

 

One of the other reasons that I like this recipe so much is that you don't have to search for exactly the right quantity of an item.  For example, I used a little less spinach this time than I have in the past in order to use what I already had at home and it didn't ruin the entire recipe.  

 

I have also seen some dips similar to this recently with bacon in them and tomatoes on top.  I love tomatoes and so I might have to make another modification to this recipe for next time.

 

 I forget about this recipe sometimes and it slips my mind when I am in a hurry and trying to find something great to make, but now that it is officially in my online recipe book I wont forget anymore.



Spinach Artichoke Dip

 

Servings: 20  Calories: 300  Fat: 8g 

You will need:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained OR 1 can spinach, chopped & well drained
• 1 jar (approx. 7.5 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese (plain mozzarella is fine too)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

 

Spread cream cheese onto bottom of microwaveable 9-inch pie plate or 2 quart casserole dish. If your cream cheese is too hard to spread, place the block in your microwavable dish and microwave on high for 15 seconds and check again. You may do this more than once, but make sure not to microwave for too long.

Make sure that your spinach is thawed, chopped and drained. I like to put the spinach into a food processor to make sure that it is in small pieces. I also like to put my artichokes in the food processor and do the same, but this is an optional step.

In a separate bowl, mix together the prepared spinach, artichokes, both cheeses and garlic powder until well blended and spread over the cream cheese.

 

Microwave on high for 2 minutes at a time until heated thoroughly.

When ready, you can serve with crackers, tortilla chips, sliced bread or even in a bread bowl (I tried Wheat Thins also, but preferred the tortilla chips or bread). You can also use a spoon or spatula to stir the mixture and blend the cream cheese with the top layer before serving. 

 

Click here for a printable version.