Artichoke, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Submitted by Tinkerbell

"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."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 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!

 

[donnaarch]

Thanks for the delicious recipe. I've made it twice for a big group, and it was a complete hit. The kids loved it as much as the adults. I used low fat cream cheese and low fat mayo, and it worked great. Thanks.

 

[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.

 

[PalatablePastime]

This was quite delicious! I think it would be great to serve at parties, keeping it warm in one of those mini-crock pots. The flavor was really great and cheesy and with just enough saltiness to remind me of feta cheese, so pairing it with spinach turns out to be the perfect thing to do!!! Thanks for participating in the contest and I wish you the best of luck!!!