Spinach Artichoke Dip Redux

I have posted this recipe before, however it was before I got my big girl camera. I made some for NYE and decided to take re-do it. Plus Casey bought me a new lens for Christmas. I am still learning photography in general, but this new lens is tricky, it doesn't have auto focus. YIKES luckily Casey also bought me a photography class.

Grab a medium sauce pan. I grabbed my moms old Duncan Hines pot. It is my very favorite and is around 25 years old. Did you know Duncan Hines made pots and pans? Me either.

Chop a medium size onion. Melt 2 tablespoons for butter. 

Then throw the onion in the buttery jaccuzi and saute those suckers.

Add a few cloves of minced garlic in there.

Add 10 oz. of prepared spinach. 

(Follow the cooking directions on the box.)

All the yummy goodness.

Add the cream cheese, and mix until combined.

Drain and add can of artichokes

 Break up the artichokes with your spoon.

Add the Parmesan and combine.

Add the 4 cheese blend. Now, you can use whatever blend 

you want I use a Mexican cheese blend, it's delicious.

Tomorrow I am putting it in a bread bowl and 

I will post post a picture of the final product. 

That's what I love about appetizers or 

really any dish, you can make it ahead of time.

Spinach Artichoke Dip - Click for Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Medium Onion

2 garlic cloves minced

10 oz Frozen Spinach

1 Can of Artichokes (13 3/4 oz)

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

3/4 c Parmesan (3 oz)

1 package (8 oz) 4 Cheese Blend (shredded)

pita chips, bruschetta chips, panini

Instructions

Melt 3T butter, add onion and garlic. Saute until tender.

Add spinach and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.

Add artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayonnaise,

Parmesan cheese, 4 cheese blend, stir until blended.

Spoon into greased baking dish, that will double as a serving piece.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes stirring often.

If desired add mozzarella on top and bake for 5-10 minutes

PW's Firecracker Shrimp

I know I post alot of The Pioneer Woman's recipes, but I love her. I feel like shes my cool hip aunt, I cant describe my PW obsession, her food, her writing, her photography --she is everything I aspire to be. Maybe soon I will write a love song to her, or an essay.

I made this at my memorial day shin dig and they were a little spicy so here is your warning! They are very delicious and couldn't be more simple, a perfect fourth of July recipe. Ginger and scallions would be an excellent addition to this. Here is the link to the tutorial by Ree aka PW. She has step by step pictures it's a two part post, and it's fabulous.

Firecracker Shrimp - Click here for Printable Recipe


Ingredients
1 lb Shrimp (16-20) - I bought deveined and peeled, so simple the way to go!
2 tablespoons Hot Chili Sauce (Sriracha) 
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Salt 
2 teaspoons Sugar 
4 - 5 cloves Garlic, pressed


Instructions

Combine all ingredients, in a bowl - feel it out see what you think it needs nothing is set in stone with this.
Dump in a zip lock bag with shrimp stick in the fridge for 20 minutes - 2 hours. Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes or more, so they wont burn on the grill. Skewer shrimp, I did 6 to a skewer. Make sure and oil the grill well, these stick pretty good if not. Grill until opaque, and brown with black bits.

Casa Ole Queso Copy Cat

I have been slacking on the food tutorials lately, I know I know. I have fully made up for it this weekend I did FOUR tutorials. I spent my entire day in the kitchen Sunday, but I enjoy it because I'm a weirdo.

This is my favorite absolute favorite queso dip. I think the reason I love it so much is because I have been going to Casa Ole since I was a little girl. My grandma used to pick me up from school and we would head to Casa Ole--sometimes three times a week. My uncle calls it the sit down Taco Bell, but I love it!

When I was in Kindergarten the school had a fundraiser selling cookbooks compiled of recipes submitted by staff and parents. I lost mine a few years ago when my family moved, but luckily my boyfriends mother gave me an extra copy. She is the best, maybe soon I can get her to guest blog with some of her fabulous Cajun recipes! We went to a Farmers Market in Pearland, I used some of the produce I bought in this recipe. I will have a separate post on the Market, it was so awesome!

Very simple ingredients, celery is included
in the original recipe I didn't add it because
I hate buying a whole thing of celery for one stalk.

Cube the cheese and place in a double boiler. 

This is the first self rigged double boiler
I have attempted that actually worked right. 

I used to think that double boilers weren't necessary,
but i kept burning cheese, and nothing is more
disgusting them burnt cheese, I promise.

it takes a while for all that cheese to melt,
I should have timed it but somewhere around 10 - 15 minutes.

Melt two tablespoons of butter,
saute onion and bell pepper for about 10 minutes

towards the end I added the jalapenos

once the cheese is melted smooth, add the vegetables

yummmmmmmmmmmmm

it has a thinner consistency which I enjoy but you can 

always add less water if you prefer thicker queso

I am obsessed with Tex Mex food, especially salsa and queso

I added the exact measurements, but you can really

just eye it and adjust it to your liking.

My grandmother swears there's sour cream in it, so
you can add that if the mood strikes you

Casa Ole Queso Dip - Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients

2.5 lbs American Cheese, cubed or grated

1 3/4 Water

1 1/2 c. Onion, chopped finely

1/2 c. Bell Pepper, chopped finely

1/2 c. Celery, chopped finely

1/8 c. Jalapenos, diced

(These ingredients are suggestions you can cut this

in half or add more of less of what you want.

In this tutorial I used one medium sized onion,

one whole bell pepper, and 1/8 cup of pickled jalapenos.)

Instructions

Combine cheese and 1 3/4 cups water in 
the top of a double boiler and bring to

 a boil. Stir every 5 minutes. While cheese is melting, 
melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter combine onion, 
celery, bell pepper and jalapeño in saucepan and sauté

 over medium heat until vegetables are
translucent-about 10 minutes. When cheese has

 melted and is smooth, add vegetables 
and mix thoroughly. Simmer 5 minutes.

This recipe is cut in half from the original

ADDICTING Fiesta Layered Dip

I literally can't make enough of this dip. It is devoured as soon as I put it on the table. A constant request from my friends, and strangers. This is definitely one of my favorite things to make, it is so easy but yet extremely delicious and a definite crowd pleaser. This is FAR from low cal but most crowd pleasers are not waistline friendly.

I basically dump one can of bean dip in the pan, because I love bean dip! Refried beans would be a more economical option, but not as flavorful, of course you could always add your own seasonings. Now usually I put this in a nice clear casserole or trifle dish, but this was headed to a crawfish boil and aluminum pans are the best option for anything like that.

Hand grated cheese is always the better choice, but I was in a MAJOR hurry.

So pre-packaged it was! Fiesta Blend, any cheese mix 

will do. If I am serving immediately I will stick this 

in the oven to warm the beans and melt the cheese.

I made this pico myself. It is quite simple.

If you are opposed to making pico or dont have to time you 

can usually find it pre-made by the bagged salads.

layer it like so. I love pico. 

I love the smell of pico onion and cilantro. YUM

Cream Cheese and Sour Cream mixed with taco seasoning.

It is pretty lumpy because I didn't have time to let it soften. 

I always try not to disturb the pico but it never really works out that way. And life really isn't that serious.This layer is the magic maker. This is what makes it so delicious. and the crack I sometimes sprinkle on top but that ingredient is totally optional.

Then right before serving top with guacamole,

I usually use the pre-packaged stuff for convenience,

but I always add lime juice to  keep it from browning.

Depending on my mood I will add more cheese on top  

Fiesta Layer Dip - Click for printable recipe

1-2 Cans of Bean Dip

Pico de Gallo ( Onion, Roma Tomatoes, Cilantro, Lime, Salt)

8 oz of cheese blend (Cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack)

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

8 oz Sour Cream

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning

Guacamole

In a casserole or trifle dish spread bean dip followed by a generous sprinkling of cheese blend. A handful or so of pico, more or less depends on your taste. In a small bowl mix cream cheese, sour cream, and taco mix. Make this the next layer in the dish. Right before serving add the guacamole, then top with cheese if desired. 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love spinach artichoke dip, if I go to a restaurant and they have, I have to order it. It calls to me. I have it eaten as a meal. I almost always burn my tongue because I have no patience. As I mentioned before my mom has no interest in cooking, and cant understand for the life of her why I love it so much. She laughed when I told her my aspirations were to be a housewife. She never learned to cook, and I guess the whole process just seems like so much work. As she was tasting this tonight she said, "This is so good, now tell me, what exactly is an artichoke." All she received from me was a blank stare, and I continued cooking our dinner. So I guess she will keep pondering what this mysterious artichoke is. On with the recipe! I searched for a long time for a good spinach and artichoke dip I could make myself, when I tasted my boyfriend's Aunt Patsy's dip I couldn't stop eating, I definitely ate more dip than turkey that Christmas.

Melt butter and saute garlic and onion

add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes

Grate your Parmesan--please ignore juice box

and cell phone clearly ruining my picture

Now usually I add the small artichokes and there are 8 - 10.

I bought that can and all i see are 6 and they are huge?!

You can chop them before adding to the pot,

but I just break them up with my spoon and incorporate into the mixture

 

Add cream cheese, mayo, parm, and 4 cheese blend

pour into greased casserole dish or hollowed out bread bowl,

I would've done the latter, but I was very pressed for time.

Then bake for 20 minutes, after that sometimes I serve it

and sometimes I top it with mozzarella and stick it back in the over for 10 minutes.

I serve it with New York Style Brand Garlic panini toast,

I also saw bruschetto toast around the deli section,

I'm sure it would be good with tortilla chips as well.

Tip: You can make this a day ahead unbaked.

Make this asap. It's fabulous.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Medium Onion

2 garlic cloves minced

10 oz Frozen Spinach

1 Can of Artichokes (13 3/4 oz)

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

3/4 c Parmesan (3 oz)

1 package (8 oz) 4 Cheese Blend (shredded)

pita chips, bruschetta chips, panini

Melt 3T butter, add onion and garlic. Saute until tender.

Add spinach and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.

Add artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayonnaise,

Parmesan cheese, 4 cheese blend, stir until blended.

Spoon into greased baking dish, that will double as a serving piece.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes stirring often.

If desired add mozzarella on top and bake for 5-10 minutes