Olive Garden Spinach Artichoke Dip

We make this every year for Christmas and several other times as well. It is one of our go-to appetizers and it is always a hit! Some people like to eat it with tortilla chips, but we prefer toasted sourdough bread in rectangles or triangles. --Stacy

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup Spinach frozen chopped, or steamed
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ tsp. dry basil (or 1 T fresh)
¼ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ tsp. garlic salt
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted sourdough bread

Instructions:

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together mayonnaise, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (be careful to drain this well), and mix until blended. Store in a container until you are ready to use. Spray pie pan with nonstick cooking spray, pour in the dip, and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 ˚F for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve with toasted bread.

Notes:

We substitute sour cream for the mayonnaise since we aren’t big mayo people. We tend to add extra spinach and are liberal with the cheese. Freshly grated cheeses make the best dip, but in a pinch, the dry stuff works, too.