Easy Spinach Dip

This is one of my favorite appetizers, and just so happens to be one of the easiest things to put together. I always make sure I have some frozen spinach and cream of leek soup on hand, you never know when you'll be hosting an unexpected predrink with 23 hungry boys.  No? Just me?  Alright then.  Feel free to serve this with afternoon tea.

You'll need...

1 cup of mayo

1 16 oz container of sour cream

1 package of dry leek soup mix

1 frozen package of spinach

...that's it.  I'm serious.  I'll have to post something else today because I feel like I'm ripping you guys off.

Measure a cup of mayo...

And grab a container of sour cream.

Combine in a medium sized bowl with the leek soup.  You can also use onion or veggie soup in a pinch.

The most "difficult" part is the spinach .. you want to thaw it out and then squeeze out the excess moisture so your dip isn't runny.  I used a colander and a paper towel and just squeezed it until it was 95% dry.  Then add the spinach to the bowl with your sour cream and mayo. 

After a couple stirs... you're pretty much done!  Just let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to let everything mingle.  If you can, leave it over night, it will be so much better.

Serve with some hunks of pumpernickel or sourdough bread.  Voila!

Enjoy!

Courtzilla

Pita Pizza

Sometimes, I just can't decide what to eat.  I know, I know, #firstworldproblems.  I'll sit there in front of the open fridge eating peanut butter from the jar because I can't make up my mind.  This is a new favorite because of 3 things.  1) It's easy.  2) It's fast.  3) It's got options.  You can switch up the ingredients and have it be a totally new lunch.  This one is a caprese salad inspired creation.  New #firstworldproblem : I don't get to work from home enough so I can eat these more often.

Grab a pita!  Easy enough, no?  I just use store bought, but my mom made them from scratch once and I gotta tell ya, it made a HUGE difference.  Also, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

I added red onions ... but I hate raw onions.  I quickly sliced up a few pieces and started to caramelize them so they didn't have as much bite.  Feel free to skip this step if you're not as picky as I am.

Slice up some tomato fairly thinly - the "pizza" is not going to be in the oven long.

Add just a brush of olive oil and some sea salt to the pita.  Simple, but big flavor difference if you skip this step. 

So instead of a tomato sauce base, I used some pesto!  I don't have any fresh basil on hand, so the jar stuff will do.

Next, a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.  Mama mia!  You don't want to add a ton, it will weigh down the pita and make it kind of soggy in the middle.  Learn from my mistakes.  

Layer on the tomatoes...

And then the onions ...

And you're ready to go!  Put it in the oven for about 12 - 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on it, you'll want to make sure the cheese is melted, and it starts to brown up on the edges.

 Slice with a knife or pizza cutter, and you're ready to rock!  I made a BBQ steak version a couple of days later, using BBQ sauce as the base and cheddar cheese.  The world is your oyster ... or in this case pita pizza.

Enjoy!  And here's a picture of Mac because he's just too adorable to leave out of the occasional post.

Courtzilla

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Superbowl is coming up soon ... what are you making for appetizers?  I have a suggestion.  JALAPENO POPPER DIP.  It's the deliciousness of jalapeno popper flavor, without the hassle of having to make 235 of them individually.  I got this recipe from Closet Cooking, and I thought it turned out pretty well!  His final product picture is a billion times better than mine.  No seriously, look at it.

You'll need.... (for my version)...

- 1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup of mayo
- 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 can (4oz) pickled jalapenos
- 1 can (4oz) green chilies
- 2 fresh jalapenos, diced
and for the topping, 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs and another 1/4 cup of grated parmesean cheese

OK!  Let's get going.

Chop up the peppers so they are diced pretty fine.  I like having a bit of pepper in each bite.  You'll then want to put the peppers, cream cheese, chedder, parmesan, and mayo into a large bowl.

Once everything is mixed together, smooth it out into an oven safe bowl or platter.  I used this bowl, but I think I would use a shallower one next time, the dip was a little hard to get to.  I don't like to work hard for my food.

Mix together the remaining parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs.  You may want to mix just a splash of olive oil in there too, just to let it brown up really nice on the top when you bake it.  Sprinkle this mix on top of the dip, and bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the top is browning up!

At this point I was 4 beers in the bag at a hockey party (Canadians are hilarious), so I neglected to get an action shot so you could really see the final product.  It was pretty good though!  I would definitely make this again, adding the olive oil to the top so it crisps up a bit more of course.

If you need other ideas for your Superbowl party, check out some of these party favorites...

Superbowl Chili

BBQ Pulled Pork

Stromboli

Enjoy!!

Courtzilla