.Artichoke Dip

I love Super Bowl Sunday…the game, the food and the drinks, usually beer. In New England we often hosted a small party with the usual dips, beer and chili.

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This  delicious dip recipe is the exact one that is served on the Holland America Line. A friend of mine spent Superbowl night on board and told me about this dish, and the best party he ever enjoyed on HAL. The crew and passengers were dancing together far into the night, when the best team won.
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The excellent crew is one reason, besides the food, that I have enjoyed every voyage on Holland America. This creamy and colorful veggie dip is a recipe from Master Chef, Rudi Sodamin’s latest cookbook called Celebration. I discovered it last summer on the wonderful IFWTWA cruise to Alaska.
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Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
I (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
11/2  grated Italian cheese, any blend
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8th teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
5 leaves basil, minced
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Method:
Heat oven to 350 F. Butter a 6 cup casserole dish.
In a food processor, combine the artichoke hearts, 1/2 the Italian cheese blend, garlic and nutmeg. pulse until chopped, but not ground. Set aside.
In a bowl combine the spinach, heavy cream, cream cheese and remaining 1 cup cheese blend: stir well. Fold in the  arichoke mixture until well combined. Transfer the dip to the prepared cassserole dish.
Bake the dip for 20-25 minutes until browned on top and heated through.
Sprinkle with the tomato and basil.
Serve immediately.
Tips:
Chef Rudi uses mozzeralla, Romano and Asiago cheeses divided equally for his blend.
This dip is served with crisp tortilla chips.
The chef  also suggests serving it in a bread bowl to make it even more festive.
I like lemonade, a crisp white wine or cold tap beer with the hot dip.
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