Spinach Artichoke Dip

If you have ever tried spinach artichoke dip, then chances are you know just how great it tastes. This popular favorite can be found at local restaurants, national restaurant chains, or your local grocery store in one form or another. While you can purchase this type of dip for an ever-increasing amount of money, with a little ingenuity you can save some money and impress anyone that you are entertaining. Here's a great recipe you can use.

Ingredients:

• Ten ounces of cream cheese
• One cup thawed artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
• 3/4 cup thawed frozen spinach, chopped and drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Process:

1. Boil. Boil the artichoke hearts and spinach. Do this by placing each of the ingredients into their own small pot and adding one cup of water to each pot. Heat the pots to boiling and then reduce heat to a low simmer for ten minutes or until the artichoke and spinach are tender. At this time, also turn your oven on and allow it to preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat. Warm up your cream cheese. This will allow an easier time for mixing everything together. Place the cream cheese into a microwave-safe bowl and place it into a microwave. Heat the cheese for one minute or until the cheese is hot and soft.
3. Mix. After boiling the artichoke and spinach, drain them and set aside to begin mixing the ingredients. Take a medium sized casserole dish and spray the bottom with some non-stick cooking spray. Into the casserole dish add all the ingredients, except for 1/2 cup of finely grated cheddar cheese. Slowly add each individual ingredient and thoroughly blend everything by hand. Once everything has been mixed together sprinkle the 1/2 cup of finely grated cheddar cheese on top, making sure that it is as evenly distributed as possible.
4. Bake. Insert the casserole dish into the oven. Allow the dip to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden brown. Be sure that you do not allow the dip to over bake, since that could quickly make for a real bad day.
5. Serve. Once you have heated the dip enough, remove it from the oven and serve to your guests. Since it is best to serve this dip while it is still warm, you will want to be careful that you do not eat while it is still too hot. Otherwise, it can be too easy to end up burning your mouth.

This recipe will serve about six people fairly easily, and should be served while still warm. Some potential items that can be served with this dip include tortilla chips, crackers, sourdough bread slices, or any combination of these items.