A Couple of Dips :-)

This post is for Mary and Jill who asked for a recipe at school the other day. (And NO, I'm NOT calling Jill and Mary dips! One of them is my boss, for heaven's sake! I'm talking about the RECIPES! )

This first one is yummy and very simple to make. I first made it on Christmas Eve, for our family's after the candle light service snacks. My entire family devoured it! I also made it at Kent and Mary Beth's on New Year's Eve...a big hit there, too! And I made it again last Friday for our circuit pastor's Epiphany party. I brought home an empty crock pot!

We like it with plain Wheat Thins and Cracked Pepper Triscuits. YUM!

Now, I have to admit that I found this recipe on a blog somewhere, and I can't find where I got it from. I usually save that info with the original recipe, but I didn't this time. I will edit this post and give credit to the original "source" when I discover where I got it from.

Ok...here's the recipe...

Spinach Artichoke dip
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (9-ounce) bag baby spinach
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 T jalapeno slices, chopped (I used most of a whole one, and it wasn't too spicy...just a nice little "kick" to it._

Spray a crock pot with Pam. (medium sized crock pot) Drain and chop artichoke hearts, and add to the crockpot. Remove the stems from the spinach, and then roll several together and chop. Toss into the crock, and repeat til all spinach is chopped. Add the mayo, sour cream, and chopped jalapeno peppers. Top with half of each of the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, or high for 1. (This can be rushed if you are in a hurry and have only 2 hours til you have to BE AT THE PARTY that you didn't know about...ask me how I know! I just did it in the microwave, and tossed it into the crock to keep warm at the party) Stir. The spinach should begin to welt. If it hasn't, cook some more. When the spinach is totally wilted, take the lid off and add the other 1/2 of each of the cheeses, and let it melt while the lid remains off. The spinach will have created some liquid that doesn't really need to be in there and will eventually cook off.

Serve with your favorite chips, sliced veggies, or bread cubes.

A second dip...a delicious dip...another one that we devoured on Christmas Eve is called Cheesy Bacon Dip. It's as good COLD before it's cooked as it is heated up! This one I got from a blog called Simple, but Delicious.

Cheesy Bacon Dip
1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 bag of shredded cheese, mild or sharp
1 16 oz. sour cream
3 oz jar of bacon pieces (recommended: Hormel) ( I just used a pound of real bacon that I chopped and cooked up, and honestly...I'll always do it that way...it was just delicious that way!)
1 cup of chopped green onions ( I think I probably used a bit more)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and place in oven safe dish.
2. Cover in foil and cook for 35-45 minutes.

Happy Snacking!

Sandy