I almost forgot to post this week's recipe thread! It's supposed to be Thursdays, right? How about appetizer recipes?
Here's my favorite recipe for spinach-artichoke dip, adapted from Cooking Light Holiday Cookbook.
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (sometimes I leave this out, usually not noticeable)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 8-oz blocks Neufchatel cheese (also called 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
5-oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1) Preheat over to 350
2) Combine 1.5 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2tbs parmesan, and all the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until well blended (a potato masher works).
3) Spoon the mixture into a 1.5-qt baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
4) Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese on top starts to turn golden brown.
Cooking Light says to serve with tortilla chips. I like to make little toasts out of a slice of baguette: just slice the bread at an angle, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for about 5 minutes or until toasted.
Party pro tip: if you have one of those small crock-pots with the removable oven-safe inside. I bake the dip in the inside stoneware part of the Crock-Pot until bubbling and golden brown. When it's done, I put the insert back into the Crock-Pot and leave it on low. The dip stays hot for the whole party.
"I'm not a rude bitch. I'm ten rude bitches in a large coat."