Hot Spinach Dip

As is usually the case, I return from the store all set to begin a recipe I'd had in mind only to find out I've forgotten some ingredient or another.  Today I bought the fixings for spinach dip and realized I'd forgotten the Knorr Vegetable Dip Mix that was called for in the recipe.  Shoot. Well, I got to thinking about Spinach Artichoke Dip.  Knowing that I didn't have any artichokes, I decided to just use the water chestnuts I'd bought for the first recipe I had in mind.  I looked through several recipes for the hot dip and decided I liked Saint Paula Deen's (patron saint of southern cooking) best.  I had to finagle the ingredients just a tad, keeping in true Kitchen Witch fashion.  

Here's what I got:

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package 2- (9oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and wrung out
• 2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts 1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2  1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup grated pepper jack Mozzarella cheese
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• a splash of each, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the water chestnuts and coarsely chop.
Combine all the ingredients and a handful of mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a chafing dish and keep warm over a low flame. Serve with bagel chips or whatever cracker you like.

This would be a great one to serve for a Memorial Day gathering or any kind of get together, really.  Have a safe and yummy holiday weekend!

Let the good times roll,

The Kitchen Witch

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