Time for Hot Dips

It's cooling off a bit. Salsa makes a fun dip, but as the temperatures cool, it's time to bake up some yummy dips. Hot and Cheesy, calorie laden dips. YUMMY. There is something comforting about a Hot Dip. Below you will find two common hot dips. Most ingredients can be found at Trader Joe's.

28413 Spinach Dip

1/2 cup frozen spinach drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. Italian herbs
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded (to top the dip)

In a small bowl, mix the spinach, sour cream and cheeses together. Add the garlic and seasonings and mix. Spray the bottom of an au gratin dish or small souffle dish or large ramekin dish with oil. Transfer dip from bowl to whatever you are going to bake it in and top with the extra cheese. Pop that in the oven and bake for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Sometimes I nuke it first and then put it in the oven so cheese gets bubbly and golden. Microwaving also speeds the cooking time a bit.

This amount of dip will serve 3-4 people as an appetizer. You can double or triple depending on how many guest you are having.

Serve with french bread cubes, or tortilla chips, or pita chips or Miss Vickie's Nine Grain Simply Salted Chips!

28413 Artichoke Dip

1 can Trader Joe's Canned Artichoke (when drained ends up being 8.5 oz)
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. Italian herbs
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cube cream cheese (softened)
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

approximately one cup of cheese to top.

Chop Artichoke in the Cuisinart. Dump chopped Artichoke in a medium sized bowl. Add garlic and seasonings and stir. Add sour cream and stir. Add cream cheese and stir. Slowly add cheeses, stirring between each addition. Pour dip into a greased 8 x 8 casserole dish or smaller ones. Sprinkle cheese on top. I put mine in smaller oven proof containers, wrap and freeze for later use. Dip freezes well. If baking a frozen one you can speed up cooking time by microwaving. Otherwise, bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

This amount of dip will serve 6-8 as an appetizer, unless you divy it up into the smaller containers.

Serve with tortilla chips, bread slices, pita chips, whatever your little heart desires. Enjoy.

Figure It Out Dip or Spread

I entered this Dip in PW's Dairy Contest. I have made it several times, but I don't always write down the recipe. The last time I made it, I wrote down the recipe.

Figure it Out Dip or Spread

1 8 oz block cream cheese (softened)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 small packet toasted onion dip mix
1 tablespoon dill
3 green onions sliced in very thin pieces
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp. Lawry’s Garlic Salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated and diced up a bit in the Cuisinart mini prep
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese grated and diced up a bit in the Cuisinart mini prep


In a bowl mix the above ingredients until well incorporated. Put in the ‘fridge. Overnight is really good, but if you don’t have the time to make it ahead, give it a few hours as the flavors need time to blend.

This can be served with pretzel slims, pita chips, potato chips, veggies…

When I serve this, sometimes, I put the dip in a margarita or martini glass and place that on a plate and put the chips, etc on the plate. Excellent presentation. This dip is thick so it is nice to have a spreader available for guests to scoop.

This dip is pretty amazing. People love to guess the flavors. It goes pretty quick, if you have a large group you might want to make a double batch.