Hot Artichoke, Spinach and Bacon dip

JustJanS's Note:

This grew from my original recipe for artichoke dip. It's good.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 loaf

• 1 (440 g) can artichoke hearts , drained,chopped
• 1 (300 g) box chopped spinach , thawed,drained
• 3 slices bacon , cooked,crumbled
• ½ cup mayonnaise (I used Best's)
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 green onions , finely sliced
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce , to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• paprika
• 1 loaf round crusty bread

Directions:

1. Remove a lid from the loaf of bread. Scoop inside of bread out, leaving about a 1/2 inch shell.
2. I baked the lid and the soft insides for 5 minutes, then broke into chunks for dipping.
3. Mix together all ingredients except paprika, and pile into bread shell.
4. Sprinkle over paprika, and bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
5. Serve with vegetables and crackers to dip (I just like to rip the bread shell apart though).

Reviews

[The Flying Chef]

I made several dips tonight for a get together I had and this one went down the best, with everyone wanting more and the recipe.. I made as is but knew I wanted to make more mix so upped ingredients slighlty. I was a little naughty with the parmesan. Whilst I only added a little more on other ingredients I double the parmesan cheese. But my goodness was this just totally delicious. I do not think the lemon juice overpowered the dip at all like the other reviewer had stated, I thought it really inhanced the flavour but I guess all of our tastes are different. A reallt great dip Jan and it has gone straight into my favourites.

[SpaghettiQueen]

I finally figured this out, but was not completely impressed with the flavor. The lemon juice needs to be cut back to about 1/2 tbsp. It was a little overwhelming to say the least. A little salt and pepper to taste and some garlic would've been fantastic.

[VictoriaL]

Oh YUM!!! Everyone liked this, and one guest said that she could make a meal out of it! :) I used turkey bacon (4 slices) instead of pork and used light mayo and sour cream. For oven temp., I used 375F and that worked well. Also, I made the dip a day ahead and refrigerated it then warmed it in the microwave before pouring into the bread bowl and baking.