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WARNING : THIS DIP IS INCREDIBLY ADDICTING.
Alright, y'all. It's football season which means that we need all things chips and dip around our house. Last year I posted my loaded queso which has made it's regular rotation on Sunday afternoons, but this year I've been working on something a little bit more sophisticated.
Spinach Dip.
But it's not your average spinach dip, y'all. It's cheesy and peppery and just spicy enough to keep things interesting.
A few notes :
- I like to use real baby spinach, not the frozen kind. This helps me control the flavor and doesn't water down my dip - because as much as I try to wring that stuff out, it still has water in it for me.
- You can totally serve this dip with crackers but chips aren't heavy enough to hold up to it generally. We prefer serving it with crusty rosemary bread that we get in the bakery section of our grocery store!
- You can substitute the full fat cheeses with reduced fat, but y'all - why would you ever do that?? It won't be as caloric, but it also won't be as gooey and creamy! Just sayin' that you've been warned!
PEPPER JACK SPINACH DIP
INGREDIENTS :
2 TBS olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounce package baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS Worcestershire
1 cup diced red onion
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 small (or 1 large) jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup diced ham
2 small (or 1 large) jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
salt & pepper to taste
Crusty bread, cubed for serving
DIRECTIONS :
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil until warm. Add minced garlic and toast a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in chopped spinach, stirring often until wilted and bright green. Hit it with some salt and pepper as it cooks. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, cream together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and Worcestershire. Stir in onion, peppers and both cheeses. Add diced ham, mix well. Stir in wilted spinach. At this point, taste and add salt, pepper and red pepper if desired.
In large pie plate (or other oven proof serving dish), spoon in the cheesy goodness. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of paprika and a little bit more freshly cracked pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until hot and bubbly. The last 10 minutes, toast the bread cubes so they're nice and crisp for the dip!
Enjoy while cheering on the Cowboys (or whatever other lesser team you watch on Sundays!)
