Spinach Artichoke Dip

I find that certain restaurants really nail spinach artichoke dip. Others fail miserably. And that's what I really hate. When you go to a restaurant, craving some of the cheesy, tangy, creamy goodness, and then you're seriously dissapointed when "said restaurant" totally misses the mark. That being said, one of my favorite places to get this amazing app is Claddagh's Irish Pub and one of my least favorite places has to be Applebees.

HOWEVER, I think that the recipe below is a serious contender for the top of my list! I'll deem this "Carla's Spinach Artichoke Dip," named after the coordinator at our wedding reception venue. I cannot remember how we got talking about food, but she told me I had to try this recipe. I have since made this for many social gatherings with friends and family. And every time I take my first bite, my eyes slightly roll back in my head, my knees get weak, I mumble some choice words and am taken to a very happy place. If you're looking for a winner, THIS IS IT.

Carla's Spinach Artichoke Dip
1/4 C butter
2 cloves garlic
1/3 C chopped onion - original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp
10 oz package of frozen spinach
1 can artichoke hearts
1/2 C half and half - I used 1 cup of fat free
8 oz cream cheese - I used the 1/3 less fat variety
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Thaw the spinach in the microwave and drain thoroughly.

Roughly chop the artichoke hearts on a cutting board.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.

Crush the garlic cloves and add to the butter, along with the chopped onions. Sautee for 3 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Add the drained spinach and artichoke hearts and continue sauteeing. After 1-2 minutes, add the creamer.

After incorporated, cube the cream cheese and add it to the mixture. Lower the heat and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and incorporated. Add the parmesan cheese and stir.

Transfer to a pie plate or shallow dish. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Melt in a 350 degree oven or microwave until warm and melted.

Note: I added extra creamer because I found that it tended to dry out when heated. Also, this last time, I served this out of my mini CrockPot, so I omitted the sharp cheddar cheese. The extra liquid really helped in this case, too.