Artichoke, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

**Tinkerbell**'s Note:

Update: My recipe was just published in the Taste of Home Holidays & Celebrations 2011 Cookbook. Tangy & creamy, this artichoke dip boasts the colorful addition of sun-dried tomatoes. Serve with plain or multi-grain baked tortilla chips. Developed for Ready Set Cook #11 - January 2008 Update 2/27/2013: Thanks to Racrgal for a really productive conversation regarding making this recipe in advance. That led me to run a series of tests. *I made four versions and found that it can be made a day in advance and refrigerated before baking, or made months in advance; frozen and then thawed before baking. Both oil-packed and dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes were tested to make sure the oil did not cause bleeding during thawing.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 (6 1/2 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed & drained
• 3/4 cup asiago cheese, grated
• 1 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped (can use dry or oil-packed tomatoes)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
3. In large bowl combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, shallots & garlic.
4. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, tomatoes & cheese. *At this point you can wrap the baking dish in saran wrap and refrigerate overnight, or wrap in 2 layers of aluminum foil and freeze for 2 months (maybe even more). When ready to serve, remove from fridge or freezer and thaw (if needed) on counter before baking as directed.
5. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese that sticks out the top of the mixture begins to brown slightly.
6. Serve with fresh vegetables or baked tortilla chips for dipping.

Reviews

[racrgal]

OUTSTANDING! I made this for a Christmas Day appy. Everyone raved about how good it was, took seconds (or thirds) and ignored the rest of the goodies. I like the addition of the sun dried tomatoes as it takes the dish out of the ordinary. Served with a variety of artisan crackers. Next Christmas I'll save myself lots of work and only make this dip. Thanks Tink!

[Sharon123]

I quartered this recipe and made it for lunch today with tortilla chips. I enjoyed the flavors. Next time I would use a little less sun dried tomatoes. Thanks for a yummy lunch! And good luck!

[EmmyDuckie]

I love this stuff. It's very creamy, a little tangy, and the sundried tomatoes add a nice little spark of color to what's normally a monochromatic food. It makes all the restaurant versions seem ordinary by comparison. My only suggestion is that I thought it could use just a little spice. A few grinds of fresh black pepper really take it over the top.