Spinach Artichoke Dip

This post has been biding its time.  I made this dip to take to a Superbowl gathering, and I would make it again.  I really enjoyed the fresh spinach take on it.  Also, sometimes I feel spinach artichoke dips can become a little greasy, especially from the mayo, so I enjoyed this version that only has 1/4 cup!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can or jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained or 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, chopped (I used the fresh)
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a small baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.  Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite dipper.

Recipe source: Your Homebased Mom

Dill Dip

I originally had this recipe somewhere around 1997 when my aunt served it at a graduation party for my cousin.  I don’t really have the recipe, but this is an alteration of how I’ve made it (probably 100+ times) since then.

Dill Dip

• 2/3 cup sour cream, reduced-fat works just fine
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise, again reduced-fat works fine
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
• 1 tsp. dill weed
• 1 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning

Mix all ingredients together and chill to allow the flavors to meld.

I believe the original recipe came from a Williams-Sonoma catalog.

National Championship Layer Dip

This dip is perfect for parties and has been my “go-to” item that I take with me to people’s houses for football viewing.    Football is pretty much the primary sport across the state of Ohio, so growing up in Cleveland, between the Browns (heartbreak), Ohio State, and various high school; it’s kind of a big deal!  I’m 99% sure I first made this dip to take with me to my now in-laws house to watch the 2002 National Championship game (GO BUCKS!), and since my husband is a BIG fan, and I think it’s pretty darn tasty it’s stuck around since then.

This dip was made out of the “layers” I liked in the various Mexican inspired layer dips you can find anywhere.  It consists of, starting from the bottom: Guacamole, Sour Cream with Taco Seasoning, Salsa, Green Peppers, and Cheese.  YUM!!!!  You could adapt it to add in anything else you like; for example, I’ve made it with half black olives for my mom, refried beans for my brother…I think you get the idea.

Taco Layer Dip

This dip can be made with several variations with whatever you have on hand.  I’ve used store-bought guacamole, avocados and a guacamole seasoning packet, or made my own.  The same goes for the salsa where I’ve used store-bought, jarred, or made my own.  One note is that you don’t want the salsa to be too runny as most of the “fresh” salsas are, so make sure to drain off the liquid before you add it.  If you had other color bell peppers on hand you could certainly substitute them for the green pepper.  Also, for the cheese, you can use a Mexican shredded blend or some combination of what you have on hand.

• Guacamole – I’ll post a homemade recipe soon.
• 1 – 8 oz. container of sour cream
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• Salsa
• 3/4 of a green pepper, diced and blotted dry
• 1 1/2 c.  Mexican cheese, shredded

Evenly spread the guacamole in your serving dish.  Combine until the sour cream and taco seasoning together until well-blended and spread over the guacamole layer. Then layer the salsa on top of sour cream layer and spread the green peppers in an even layer over the salsa.  Cover the top with cheese.  Serve with tortilla chips.