Last weekend, I went to a much needed girls game night, minus the game but plus the wine and appetizer spread — let’s face it, the wine and apps are much more needed than the game anyway.   I was feeling a little low on “cooking energy” that day but I wanted to contribute an appetizer for the evening.  I have had this recipe for probably 15 years but haven’t made it for awhile.  It fit my criteria of being delicious but easy and I happened to have everything in the house to make it — that always feels like a minor miracle! Once I had settled on making it, I couldn’t kick the craving to devour it.  I know a lot of people make their artichoke dip with mayo and parmesan and large chunks of artichokes.  I love that dip as well, but there is something about the smooth creaminess of this dip with plenty of finely chopped fresh spinach, artichokes and garlic that I just think takes the cake in the arena of artichoke dips.  Plus you can prep it, have plenty of time to get ready for your party, scoop it into a pretty little dish, grab a bag of chips and take a tasty homemade appetizer to your friends.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz cream cheese, cubed (can be light but not “no fat”)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 14 oz can artichokes, drained and finely chopped (avoid artichokes packed in oil)

1 lb (or 2 8-10 oz bags) fresh spinach leaves, washed and finely chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours, until hot and bubbling.  Stir well.  Serve immediately with tortilla chips, pita chips, crostini, crackers, or bread.