I love appetizers….and I’ve tried lots and lots of them. As a big fan or artichoke/spinach dip, I must try it at every restaurant I go to. I finally found my favorite…mmmm, it’s so good AND it has a hint of spice to it. Since I knew the waitress…I convinced her to slip me the recipe. It sure helps to know people, sometimes. I don’t want to get her skinny-butt fired, so I’ll keep the restaurant a secret…..but, here’s the recipe. It’s a HUGE crowd pleaser! (I especially like it because there is no mayo in it…mayo…eww!)
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You need a good handful of ingredients, but don’t be scared. It’s really a quick and easy thing to make and after the first time making it…you’ll be able to whip it up in no time. K, you need butter, a yellow onion, garlic, flour, heavy cream, half & half, chicken bouillon cubes, cream cheese, grated Parmesan, grated Pepper Jack cheese, ground cayenne pepper, ground white pepper, salt, frozen spinach, a can of artichoke hearts.
In a saucepan, melt 2 TBS. butter then add 3 TBS chopped onions and 2 tsp. chopped garlic. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft. Add 4 1/2 tsp. flour, stir and cook a few additional minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup half & half, and 2 chicken bouillon cubes.
Mix well and heat until almost boiling. Reduce heat to simmer and add 4 oz. or cream cheese, 2 TBS. grated Parmesan, and 1 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese. Blend well while adding 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/8 tsp. white pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Defrost about 10 oz. of frozen spinach and squeeze out the excess liquid over the sink. Add it to the cheese mixture you just made. Chop up about 6 oz. of artichoke hearts and add to the mixture. Mix well.
All done! Gobble it up! Optional: when you’re ready to serve, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until brown on top. Top with fresh diced tomatoes.
Alright, next up…stuffed mushrooms. You’ve probably seen all sorts of variations of this recipe…and you may have even seen it on my family blog. But, just in case…I wanted to post it on here because it’s so good! Every time I make these I have a duty to call my little brother over to eat them with me. He comes over and eats so many that I wish I just kept it a secret…
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For some reason, I can find the picture of all the ingredients. But, it’s easy. All you need is one 8 oz. cube of cream cheese, 1/2 bunch of green onions, garlic salt, one roll of Jimmy Dean sausage, and 1 to 2 pkgs of fresh mushrooms.
First, cook your roll of Jimmy Dean sausage. Drain any grease.
In another bowl, whip your cream cheese. Add some shakes of garlic salt and a tad bit of milk (1 to 2 TBS. approx.) Taste it…when you like the flavor, you can stop adding to it. How do you like that for vague?
Chop up about 1/2 a bunch of green onions….less or more, if you likety-like.
Add your sausage…usually I add about 3/4 of the sausage. Stir it up.
Wash your shrooms. Break off the stems and set top-down on a sheet pan.
Spoon some of the mixture into the hole of the mushroom…with some overflowing out the top. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.
Don’t call your brother. He’ll eat them all.
And, now for the recipes…
Artichoke Spinach Dip
2 TBS. butter
3 TBS. diced yellow onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic (I’ve used refrigerated minced garlic…still great!)
4 1/2 tsp. flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half & half
2 bouillon cubes
4 oz. cream cheese
2 TBS. grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach
6 oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped.
Directions: In saucepan, heat butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat until onions are soft. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, half & half, and chicken base. Mix well and heat until almost boiling. Reduce heat to simmer and add cream cheese, Parmesan, and pepper jack. Blend well while adding cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt. Squeeze out the liquid from the spinach in the sink and then add it to the mixture. Add the artichoke hearts, blend well. Optional: when ready to serve, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 3-5 minutes or until brown on top. Top with fresh diced tomatoes.
Stuffed Mushrooms
1 cube (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 bunch green onions
Garlic Salt (to taste)
1 roll Jimmy Dean sausage.
1 to 2 pkgs. fresh mushrooms
Directions: Cook the sausage and crumble. In another bowl, whip the cream cheese with some garlic salt and a little milk, to taste. Chop desired amount of green onions and add to cream cheese mixture. Stir in crumbled sausage (I usually do about 3/4 of it). Wash mushrooms and pop out the stems. Line them up, upside-down on a sheet pan. Spoon some of the mixture into the mushroom holes and overflowing out the top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Mariel
Owner & Author at Or so she says...
Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!
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This dip looks amazing! You are lucky to have spies!
I have got to make these! I bet my kids would gobble them all up!!!!
Goo thing I can start my produce list on Wednesday for my next co-op pick up!
Mmmm! So good! Good thing I have a cousin with great recipes! These would be perfect for Superbowl Sunday!
Mmmm! So good! Good thing I have a cousin with great recipes! These would be perfect for Superbowl Sunday!
My mouth is watering…those mushrooms like delicious
those both look awesome!!! thanks for sharing
Yum! I love good appetizers also. If you ever go to Taggarts, they’re artichoke dip is soo good! We tried it on Saturday.
Thank you sooo much for a spinach/artichoke recipe without mayo! I love you!
I made the mushrooms for New Years and they are always a hit! Thanks for the delicious recipes!
Oh man! I love spinach artichoke dip! My fiance and I get it at every restaurant we go to, too. Haha!
We tried Red Lobster’s lobster artichoke dip yesterday and it was AMAZING.