Brittany's PantrySpinach & Feta Artichoke Dip
Brittany wrote this on 17 November 2014
artichokes, cheese, cream cheese, feta, gluten-free, mayo, sour cream, spinach
I owe my love of artichokes to my good friend, Dede.
Actually, I owe quite a bit to her. Not the least of which is the fact that she taught me how to devein shrimp, sneak food into a movie theater, and even hosted our wedding at her farm. Years ago, when I was younger, thinner, and less wise, she introduced me to the cheesy, gooey artichoke dip and I was hooked. It was never something my parents prepared and we rarely ate out so I made it all the way to my teens before having my first artichoke surrounded by melty goodness. I inhaled it; scooped with crispy chips and enjoyed with plenty of laughter. Dede also taught me how to make it myself and it is on those experiences which my classic recipe is based. Don’t you love it when certain foods make you think of someone or something that brings a smile to your face? I do too.
This version is surprisingly different. The flavor is light and tangy-a welcome difference from many of the heavy appetizers and snacks that can be served this time of year. It is still creamy? Oh yes. But it has a much fresher taste. Be prepared to stave off the praise, pats on the back, and the marriage proposals when you serve this. It is just that scrumptious.
Bonus: It is not as unhealthy as you might think. Artichokes come packed in water, and the spinach as well. Did you hear that? Spinach. We are talking major health food here. As for the dairy that gets mixed in, I generally purchase Neufchatel cheese, which is a lighter version of cream cheese with the same flavor. The taste of Canola based mayo is the same as classic, but much more heart healthy. Low fat sour cream works great in this recipe, so feel free to sub that out. Just please do not use fat free versions of any of these products. *shudder* The chemicals involved give me the heebie geebies.
So. The details? This dip can easily be mixed up a day in advance and chilled, unbaked and covered until you need it, making it a time saving dish. It also travels well so be sure to keep this recipe in mind when you need to bring something to a party. Much easier to transport due to low risk of spillage. 🙂 It tastes great with gluten-free rice crackers, tortilla chips, or just classic pita chips. If you want to throw a veggie on with with, thinly cut celery sticks are especially good and look very nice on the plate. It also makes a particularly good snack to share with that a good friend that brings a smile to your face.
Spinach & Feta Artichoke Dip
Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen
1 pkg (8 oz or so) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts or quarters, drained of liquid and roughly chopped
1 pkg (8 oz) oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c sour cream
1/2 c mayonnaise
6 oz crumbled feta cheese, divided
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, combine all the above ingredients, saving a small handful (about 2 T) of the crumbled feta. Pour the dip into a small casserole dish, sprinkle with reserved cheese, and bake until cheese is golden brown on top and dip is starting to bubble, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, pita, chips, celery, or crackers.
Crustless Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche
Brittany wrote this on 7 November 2014 cheese, chives, eggs, gluten-free, tomatoes
I grew up with big breakfasts.
My Dad always liked to make the works on the weekends and he was good at it. Fried potatoes with onions, a big platter of fried eggs, sausage patties, toast-everything a good breakfast purist would want. And you wouldn’t believe how perfect my Dad can make an egg over-easy. The best I have ever seen, using a tiny cast iron frying pan that makes a perfectly sized egg. Gorgeous. My husband loves the tradition of a big breakfast just as much and we have a good time going all out on a saturday morning; taking our time and making a huge menu.
I almost always serve an egg dish because…well because I love them. I always have. In college I would microwave beaten eggs in a mug and spoon it over toast. It was cheap, fast, and SO good at 1 in the morning! Now, you can always find a hardboiled egg or two in my refrigerator, and my children proudly know what it means to order eggs scrambled, sunny side up, over-easy, over-hard, or poached.
Which is why, if you are a guest at my house on a weekend or holiday and it is before 11:00 am, there is a very good chance that you will be served this egg recipe. Why? It satisfies everyone! Its healthy, gluten-free, and vegetarian. But most importantly, it is an incredibly tasty dish that is ridiculously easy. Two things we are always looking for in breakfast food, right? I put sun-dried tomatoes in it, people. SUN DRIED TOMATOES! Little chewy bites of exploding flavor that you will want to mix in to every egg dish hereafter- which you totally have my permission to do, but the way.
Unlike a lot of quiche recipes, this one isn’t overly loaded down with ingredients. No big chunks of vegetables, but certainly no less appealing. It isn’t made in a tiny cast iron frying pan, but I am fairly certain my Dad would allow this on the table on a Saturday morning. Being the breakfast expert that he is, he knows a good thing when he sees it.
**This recipe was created in collaboration with the Casper. Check out their mattress here to learn more about how they are creating ‘The Mattress Reimagined.” Also, don’t forget to check out the Casper Mattress Twitter page! As always, all opinions and content are my own.
Crustless Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche
In addition to breakfast or brunch, I love to serve this alongside a salad and crusty bread for a light dinner.
1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 c Vermont white cheddar
1 scant T snipped fresh chives
pinch of salt
ground black pepper to taste
8 large eggs, beaten
1/3 c milk
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Spray a glass or ceramic deep dish pie dish. Evenly sprinkle the bottom of the pie plate with the tomatoes, then the cheese, then the chives. Beat the remaining ingredients together until uniform and fluffy and slowly pour the egg mixture into the pie plate. Gently slide the dish into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until puffed and JUST SET in the middle. Remove dish and let sit at room temperature for a full five minutes before slicing and serving. Can be enjoyed hot, warm, or room temperature. Leftovers are great the following day, slightly warmed in the microwave and eaten on toast like a breakfast sandwich!
10 Tasty Holiday Recipes You Can Make With Your Kids
Brittany wrote this on 5 November 2014
The day after Halloween I go shopping.
I am definitely an autumn season kind of decorator-not Halloween decorator. Pumpkins yes, skeletons, no. Cute little cornucopias spilling harvest vegetables and bundles of wheat across my entry table-yes. A life-sized headless horseman lit up on my lawn…no. So on the day of universal fall clearance sales (Nov 1) I go on the hunt for fall things. This year, I wasn’t even a little bit surprised that the tireless employees of my local Target had been up most of the night turning the colors of the store from orange and black to red and green. While the rest of the country seemed to be dealing with a crazy cold front, here in the South Carolina midlands, we got rain and (gasp) a few flakes of snow. Needless to say the store was nearly vacant when we arrived that morning, seeing as how Southerners just don’t deal with frozen precipitation well.
I took advantage of this and casually strolled the isles, checking out all the Christmas loot. I say casually, but my kids were with me so that is actually code for lectured, bolted, crawled, growled, scolded, and sighed my way through the isles. Inevitably, because the Target gurus up in Minnesota at the headquarters plan it this way, I was accosted with sparkles, cozy blankets, light up earrings, cranberry scented candles, snowflake embroidered pillows (which were totally festive and adorable) and the sense that I was suddenly behind if I wasn’t already shopping for these things. As is often apt to happen, I started to reminisce about family and friends and togetherness.
Then I went through the kitchen section.
The dishes!!! Target has really outdone itself this year. *QUICK DISCLAIMER: No, this isn’t a promoted post and Target doesn’t know I am writing this. I just happen to love them.* After checking out the cute mugs and serving platters and table linens, I couldn’t wait to get home and start baking! The smells of food are one of my favorite things and there are few things as homey as holiday treats. Since I left the store with the same three crazy munchkins I walked in with, the first thing I did was start making a list of recipes that they could help me make. My oldest is eight, therefore more than capable to facilitate a simple recipe, and my youngest is 2 1/2, more than capable of making a really big mess. The middle one is 5 and he could go either way.
I figured the key was to make sure there were things that they could really mess up too badly, and recipes that would taste good regardless of how they looked. Execution is not always a child’s strong suit. But if it tastes good, who cares if the cookies are squished, the bon bons lopsided, or the chocolate covered cereal a bit crumbly? Not me. So, naturally, I wanted to share my list with all of you! And this blog post is much more efficient than the recycled envelope and crayon I used to make it originally. I hope you have as much fun making them with your family as I do with mine!
Let the Holiday Season begin!!
Spiced Tea Mix
I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. It is incredibly cozy to sip on a chilly day and kids love it as much as adults. It is uber easy to mix up which is perfect for children to help with. They can even help measure! Enjoy this all yourself, or share with a friend. It makes a fantastic gift for the holidays. Pour it into a cute little jar with a Christmas ribbon and pass it out!!
Classic Snickerdoodles
You may not think of these cookies first when you are planning your holiday treats, but you should. They require little hands to roll them into balls and dunk them in cinnamon and sugar. What kid wouldn’t love that? In addition, the cinnamon makes them wonderfully festive. It took me several tries with several versions to arrive at this master recipe and it is spectacular. Much more forgiving than a chilled butter cookie that you have to roll out, these cookies can take whatever your kiddos can dish out-and still taste fantastic!!
Sweet Orange Knots
This recipe was posted last month and for good reason. They work as a speedy recipe for company and make your house smell deeeeeeeelicious!!! Such a comfort on a chilly morning! The best part? They taste the same no matter how perfect the knots. So let your kids get in there and dip and sugar and tie the rolls together. Be sure to let them lick the orange sugar off their fingers when they are done!
Caramel Apple Dip
Give the kids a hand mixer and let them go to town. This recipe tastes so good, it is impossible to mess it up. Perfect as an after school snack or make ahead treat for a holiday party!
Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Mix
This tastes SO much better than the store bought stuff and is super fun to mix up. My kids think giving little gift bags of this away is just about the best thing ever. This year, it is going to their teachers! I keep it stored in an old ice cream bucket in my pantry.
Bon Bons
These babies are ridiculously easy and perfect for little hands to roll into balls! This recipe has two different versions and one of them is gluten-free. It also makes a big batch so be sure to share with family and friends!
Marshmallow Pumpkin Dip
This is another easy recipe for the kids to mix up. Mine have fun arranging the dippers on a platter for guests!
Hot Apple Cider
To make this cozy recipe even more kid friendly, have them put all the ingredients into a slow cooker!
Christmas Munch
This is just so incredibly fun to put together! Adults and kids alike won’t be able to keep their fingers out of the bowl!
Sweet & Savory Mixed Nuts
My kids love to measure out the spices and the nuts into bowls to mix up both of these great recipes. These have to be mixed very thoroughly so feel free to put the sweet version in a large ziploc bag to make it easier for them to squish together and get all those nuts good and coated. Such a fun, healthy snack!
Happy Holidays!
Love a Good Recipe?
Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
