Spinach Artichoke Dip

I'm sure a lot of you already know how easy it is to make your own Spinach Artichoke Dip, but it is relatively new for me. A few months ago I ran out of the Jalapeno Artichoke dip that I had purchased @ Costco, but I still had quite a bit of pita chips left over. I decided I would look on the container of dip to see what the ingredients were and I had all of them in my fridge or pantry already. I substituted spinach for the jalapenos and that was it.  It took me all of 5 minutes to put together (and other 10 to eat most of it by myself.)
  It's a dip served great room temperature or even topped with more cheese and baked until bubbly. It's terrific with chips, crackers or bread. It's really so simple I feel silly for not making it at home earlier. Now you get the benefit from my epiphany. :)

Here's how it starts.
You'll need to squeeze the water out of the spinach. (Whether it's canned, frozen and defrosted, or freshly sauteed.) Spinach has a lot of water in it and it will make the dip runny if you don't drain the water out now. I just put the spinach in a paper towel and squeeze it over the sink.

When the spinach is all drained, put it into a medium bowl.

Then open a can of artichoke hearts. Quartered will make you life easier, but if they are whole, just cut them into quarters yourself. Drain all the liquid and set these aside.

To the spinach, add a block and 1/2 of cream cheese. Yes it's a lot, but this is not a single serving here. It will feed a crowd if you are willing to part with it and share it with others.

Then add a little mayonnaise.

And a little sour cream.

Next comes the salt,

pepper,

granulated garlic (I like this instead of the fresh stuff here, because it distributes better in the mix and I don't like eating raw garlic.), and granulated onion.

Mix everything together and add the quartered and drained artichoke hearts.

I also add a little Mozzarella cheese for texture. If I were to bake this, I would add more on top before baking. Also add a little Parmesan Cheese (or Romano if that's all you have).

Mix everything together and there you have it: For me, I also like to add some red pepper flakes but that's completely optional.

Just grab something to dip and go to town. Mmm. So good!

Here's the recipe:
(These ingredients are all pretty much to taste. If you like more spinach, add more. If you like less garlic add less. This recipe is completely adjustable to suit your tastes. Play around with it and make it the way you would like!)

 Spinach Artichoke Dip

12 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup spinach (frozen, defrosted, and drained)
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp granulated onion
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
red pepper flake (optional - to taste)
    
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and enjoy. It's best after it sets for at least an hour to let all the flavors meld, but I usually can't wait that long. If you are going to serve this hot, just put it into an 8x8 baking dish, top with more Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with veggies, pita chips, crackers or bread. Serves 2-12 depending on how hungry you all are. :) 
  Or, you could smear it on a loaf of French Bread and make Spinach Artichoke Bread. (The hubby's preferred method of enjoying this.)