My Own Spinach Dip

Chef #1440330's Note:

I combined elements from several other recipes...I found others to be too thick, too thin, not enough cheese, you get the idea. The marinated artichokes are the key! I hope you like it!

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 (8 ounce) box frozen spinach , drained
• 2 (8 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts , chopped into pieces
• 2 (8 ounce) boxes cream cheese , at room temperature
• 1 (16 ounce) bagshredded mozzarella cheese (whichever you prefer) or 1 (16 ounce) bag monterey jack pepper cheese (whichever you prefer)
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• salt

Directions:

1. Thaw spinach in the microwave. I find it's best to NOT heat it all the way through or I burn myself while trying to drain the excess water, so I heat it for about 3 to 3 1/2 minutes (depending on your microwave) and let it sit for a few minutes on the counter and let the heat that has accumulated in the box do the rest of the work for me. Drain the excess water ( I just use paper towels stacked on top of one another) and put the spinach in a large bowl.
2. Remove the artichoke hearts from the jars (usually they already come quartered) and chop into pieces. Not too small, bite size is where you want to be.
3. Put the artichoke hearts, cream cheese, a HANDFUL of the shredded cheese, and the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly.
4. Scrape the mixture into a baking dish and cover with the remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 425 until the top is brown and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. I like to serve this with french bread rounds I have baked ahead of time but it is delicious with pretty much anything :).