If you want to feel good about yourself, make this Hot Cheesy Spinach and Red Pepper Artichoke Dip. It will be the first thing to disappear at the appetizer table!
Wow! It’s almost a New Year. Let me tell you, 2014 kind of “flashed before my eyes.” In a good kind of a way though. It was a great year, and I’m really looking forward to the next so we can keep bringing you great recipes and hopefully a lot more fun! 2015 is looking to bring a lot of changes in my life. And they are good ones. But there’s also something difficult about change. Sometimes it’s easy to just stay where it’s comfortable. But let’s just embrace it baby!
I posted this Hot Cheesy Artichoke Dip awhile back. It’s a fabulous dip – throws together in just minutes, and always a crowd pleaser. Well, Tammy and I have been messing around with it a bit to bring you a few different versions. This one was inspired by many a restaurant trip. Spinach is a popular combo with the artichoke, and then I went and saw someone put red pepper in it, too. Yes, I say. Yes.
I like this spinach and red pepper version because it is equally just as simple to throw together, and it makes it look BEAUTIFUL. You can really change up the flavor by adding a bit, but if you are just going for the splash of color, simply scale the additions way back and you’ll get the look that’s still more true to the original recipe taste.
And for you health conscientious folk, we also have a couple of lower fat options for ya, with the main change using Greek yogurt for part of the base (I mean, we don’t want to totally blow our New Year’s Resolutions the second the clock strikes, right?).
So are you an artichoke lover like us? What’s your favorite way to eat them? Let us know in the comments below!
CuisineGourmet
Author Christina | Food Apparel
Ingredients
- 8ouncescream cheesesoftened to room temperature
- 1/2cupsour cream
- 1/4cupmayonnaise
- 1canartichoke hearts14 ounces, drained and chopped
- 1 to 1 and 1/2cupsshredded Parmesan or Romano cheeseor a combination of the two
- 3clovesgarlic, mincedor 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1packagefrozen spinach, thawed, chopped, and well-drained10 and 1/2 ounces, more or less
- 1roasted red bell pepperfinely diced, drained if from can
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Mix until combined and smooth.
Add artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix until all is equally distributed.
Mix in spinach and roasted red pepper.
Place in 8x8 pan (or other 2 quart baking dish). Garnish with a little additional roasted red pepper if desired.
Cook for 30 minutes, or until top starts to brown and mixture is heated through.
If desired, turn oven to broil right at end for about 2-3 minutes to brown and crisp the top a little more.
Serve with crusty bread, crackers, or pita chips!
Recipe Notes
Notes:
If using the spinach it is VERY IMPORTANT to drain off the liquid.I like to squeeze liquid through a strainer or in a cheese cloth. DO NOT use raw spinach. The water will cook out and make it soupy. If you use fresh, you must cook it first and then drain off the excess liquid. This is why we prefer frozen, but it can be done this way with these extra steps.
Change it Up:
In place of the red peppers, use 1 to 2 tablespoons finely diced sun-dried tomatoes.
In addition to the Parmesan/Romano cheese, add 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese if you like stringy cheesy gooey-ness!
Dress it Down:
Keep it simple with straight up artichoke goodness (eliminating the spinach and roasted red pepper).
Lighten it Up (Healthier Version):
Cut back the cream cheese to 6 ounces, or use Neufchatel which is 1/3 lower fat.
Instead of sour cream, use light sour cream or 2% or 4% Greek yogurt.
For the mayonnaise, try using light or olive oil mayo.
Did I mention we got to share this dip today on KUTV Channel 2 Fresh Living? A lot of fun again! Thanks for having us back! (Despite the fact that we had to go through a blizzard to get there. Winter, bleh!)
Also, we teamed up with some other Utah Food Bloggers for a NYE Blog Hop to share some great appetizers to ring in the new year! Go check these out:
Snowman Cheese Ballfrom Shambray
Sausage & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushroomsfrom Amy at Home Remedies
Teriyaki Shrimp, Steak & Chicken Kabobsfrom Sydney at Tastefully Frugal
Pimento Cheesefrom Ann at Dripping Paintbrush
Cranberry Salsafrom Becky at Bite of Delight
Pomegranate Pork Belly Crostinifrom Michelle at the Complete Savorist
Salami, Horseradish & Cheese Hors D’Oeuvrefrom Gina at Money Savvy Living
Basil & Olive Oil Caprese Bitesfrom Meaghan at DIY Faerie
Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Ballfrom Shannon at Dinner from the Heart
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Christina | Food Apparel
I'm Christina and I'm a self-proclaimed foodie and chocoholic! I am a real estate broker by trade. I have a wonderful husband, 3 girls 4 and under (crazy!!!) and a hyper dog. Want to know my quirks? Go here for a little Q&A.
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