Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip: Easy Crowd Pleaser

We seem to do a lot of spontaneous entertaining these days. An out of town college friend visits and we end up hosting an evening for all our friends to catch up with them. I'm not complaining. This often ends up being more fun (and easier for us and them) then trying to get to a restaurant where your party of 15 is stretched out over a long table. It's impossible to have a conversation and there's always the distraction of getting the kids to eat something. We like to keep it casual and order in a pizza but I also try to have to have a few snacks and appetizers out for everyone to enjoy. One of my favorite go to dishes is this hot spinach and artichoke dip. It's almost just as easy as putting out the vegetable crudités and hummus. It looks like you made somewhat of fuss too even though it only takes a few minutes of prep time! Most spinach artichoke dips require mayonnaise and sour cream. I don't ever use mayo so it makes little sense to buy a whole jar just for this dip. This recipe doesn't seem to need the mayo or sour cream. There's enough cheese in here to provide the same creaminess as mayo. It also uses reduced fat cream cheese. I think it tends to have a slightly more sour taste than the full fat cream cheese. This makes up for the tangy taste of the missing sour cream.  Everyone loves a good cheese dip. This one is creamy, flavorful and totally addictive. So go ahead, give this classic a try the next time you need to whip up a quick appetizer. For other appetizer ideas you can also try these make ahead mini Indian samosas.  For another dip check out this Mexican layer dip. Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe Print This Recipe Ingredients 1 can artichoke hearts, 14 ounces 3 cloves garlic, small 5 ounces baby spinach 1 tablespoon onion, minced 8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Directions Preheat the oven to 375°F. Drain and rinse the artichokes Combine the artichokes, garlic cloves, spinach and onion in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the cheeses to the food processer, leaving a small amount of mozzarella aside to later sprinkle on top of the dip. Process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake until the cheese has slightly browned. (about 5-10 minutes) Serve hot with slices of bread or unsalted pita chips.  via Food Fanatic http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/08/hot-spinach-and-artichoke-dip-easy-crowd-pleaser/

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