Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

My next door neighbors moved away for a year...a very long year. And, they moved very far away...very far, like to The Republic of Georgia...right at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Far across the world, my neighbor Monica read my blog and made kind comments about wanting to try some items when she returned home.

Well, she and the rest of her family are back in the States and to welcome them home we hosted a dinner and invited some other neighbors over. I didn't recreate any of my previous blog entries but I did try to execute three new appetizers and here's the first one.

Hot spinach and artichoke dip! Who doesn't love it when you go out to a restaurant and order it? Although I am a vegetarian, I am not a fan of spinach and will only eat it raw. I also am not a fan of artichokes and will only eat it in combination with spinach in a creamy dip. I might have a strange condition. ;) I found this recipe on someone else's blog and changed the recipe only slightly. I tried it on a multi-grain cracker before serving it and then decided to toast up some "black & white" loaves from a local bakery department. I lightly brushed the bread with garlic olive oil before toasting and it was wonderful. I later put out some untoasted bread and my husband preferred to eat it this way. To each their own...

Ingredients:

1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach (thawed, drained and coarsely chopped)
2 (7 ounce) jars of marinated artichoke hearts (drained and coarsely chopped)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic (grated)
1/2 teaspoon chili sauce (optional)
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (grated)
1/4 cup mozzarella (grated)

Directions:
1. Mix everything and pour it into a baking dish.
2. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes. Finish off under the broiler for a browner top, if desired.

http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/11/hot-spinach-and-artichoke-dip.html