Cooking for Thanksgiving: Appetizers

When I was a kid, the standard holiday appetizers were cheese balls and nuts. My parents are so old school, they just call it school. As I got older, I decided there was more to holiday appetizers than a ball of cheese rolled in nuts (though I still love a good cheese ball!). One of my favorite appetizers is spinach artichoke dip. Sure, it's a bit outdated in terms of food fashion, but I'm a sucker for it nonetheless. Years ago, I discovered this recipe on allrecipes.com. I love it because it's holiday colored and super, super easy to make. And let me tell you, I've prepared this appetizer almost every year for almost 10 years. I never have leftovers. Ever.

Holiday Hot Spinach Dip

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (6.5 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and mashed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Mix together spinach, bell pepper, garlic, artichokes, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mixture will be thick, add cream to thin to dip consistency. Spoon into a 1 quart baking dish.

3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with crackers.

Check back later for a quick and easy appetizer that makes you look polished and together, but requires practically zero effort!

(Recipe and Image via allrecipes.com)