About this Recipe

The first time I had this yummy appetizer recipe was at a restaurant, I think it was an Earls, way back in the day. I thought it was magic and did not even consider the idea of making it at home! It wasn’t until I was much more mature that I tested out this recipe and realized that it is really simple and super impressive to guests who come over. This appy recipe makes for a great holiday appetizer recipe but of course can be eaten any ol’ time of the year. It is really great on cool fall and winter days because it is served warm and so sort of warms your shackles (is that a saying your family says too?). If not, you can replace shackles with bones. It warms your bones.

Grandmother's Kitchen Tips for Baked Spinach Dip in Bread Bowls:

1. This homemade dairy based spinach dip recipe will be fine in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days.

2. If you are serving this at an all day event, make sure it does not stay out more than 2 hours before putting in the fridge again to ensure food safety and no-one gets sick.

3. If you are making it in bread bowls, you can pre-cut the tops off your buns, then gently use clean fingers to pull out the bread interior.

4. Save the bread bits for dipping later, or if you want you can also freeze them and save for a Homemade Crouton Recipe.

5. The original recipe that I tried was also with cooked imitation crab meat, so you can of course chop up some of that and add it in for a some more protein or if you have meat lovers in your mix.

6. If doing bread bowls, you can get the bread done ahead of time. Just cut the tops off and save as whole tops. Cut around the edge of the bun about 1/4 inch thick. Use your fingertips to gently pull out the bun contents. Place bread contents on a cutting board and cut into big chunks for dipping later. Do as many buns as you plan on, then put everything into 2 plastic bags, one with empty buns, and one with chunks of bread and close the tops to keep fresh. Set aside until the dip is ready.

7. Whatever type of bread you make or get, rounded loaves are super easy to make a bowl out of to hold the dip in. The best way to make a bowl out of a loaf of bread is to use a sharp serrated knife to cut just the very top off of the loaf, usually just an inch or so. Once you have the top off, use the knife to cut a bowl shape into the bread and pull out the inside of the loaf of bread. Save this bread and use it to dip into the spinach dip. You can also dip in vegetables and pita bread if you like, or some good crackers.

Keeping your food clear from mold can be tough since it grows so fast. One way to prevent mold from growing is to really be on top of what’s in your fridge and cabinets. If you notice mold growing on one item in your fridge make sure you check all other items in the fridge for mold too. Mold can spread pretty quickly, even in your fridge. Learning what kills mold is also very important when you’re looking to rid your home of mold. One of the best natural kitchen cleaners that kills mold is vinegar. All you have to do is spray regular white vinegar directly onto any mold growing on surfaces, and it will kill it. Although, if you find mold on your food, it’s best to dispose of it right away.

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Ingredients

(Print)

Makes: 4 cups - Fills 8 buns about 1/2 cup of dip in each

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 package frozen chopped spinach (about 1 - 1.5 cups thawed spinach)

1 (398ml) can artichoke hearts, chopped into small pieces

1 (227ml) can sliced water chestnuts, chopped fine OR 1/2 cup sliced Homemade Oven Roasted Chestnuts Recipe

1 teaspoon pure lemon juice

1 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, spinach, artichoke hearts, chestnuts, lemon juice, parsley, Asiago cheese and garlic. Cover and place in the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before using to allow the flavors to infuse.

You can prepare this a day ahead if you like and bake the next day.

To bake:

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

3. You can either bake in a bread loaf or small loaves for individual servings or you can do in a single baking dish.

4. If using a baking dish, grease the dish with oil, scoop in the dip, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.

5. If using a bread bowl, scoop out a large bread loaf or smaller bread loafs.

6. Save the bread you scoop out as you can use it later to eat with the spinach dip.

7. Scoop the filling into the loaf or loaves. If you have extra dip, just put into a baking dish and cover with foil. This recipe filled 6 buns and one small ramekin dish. It is up to you if you want to bake in one large loaf or pan, or to make individual portions. Wrap the loaf/loaves in foil and place on a baking sheet.

8. Bake for 2 hours. Remove and serve warm with bread cubes and vegetables. The baking time is the same using large or small.

9. You can eat the scooped bread cold or you can toast it up in the oven while baking the dip by placing onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and putting in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at the same time as baking the spinach dip.

If you don't want to eat these bread cubes, they can be saved once toasted and used as crumbs in other recipes.

ENJOY!

Return to this Baked Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

The nice thing about this spinach dip being in a bread bowl is that the bowl will get eaten, leaving you with no messy bowl to have to clean up after. That’s probably one of the only cases that you’ll be left with no dishes to do after making an appetizer or meal though. So having a good dishwasher makes all the difference when it comes to kitchen cleanup. The best cleaning dishwasher will most likely be a newer model since they have great technology that the older machines don’t have. You can also look online for reviews of dishwashers to find the best cleaning dishwasher to purchase.

Then, using the best automatic dishwasher detergent will also be important too. It’s best to use the dishwasher soap that’s recommended in your dishwasher manual, but if you want to use all natural dishwasher soap, there are ones out there that are worth trying out too. A good tip is to not soak or rinse your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher since the dishwasher detergent, and the dishwasher is designed to clean dirty dishes.

You've probably enjoyed a spinach dip at some point whether it was at a restaurant or a gathering but don't always think of making a recipe like this ourselves.

Spinach dip is one of the best dip recipes out there and includes a bunch of great ingredients like sour cream, mayonnaise, artichoke hearts and, of course, spinach. You don't even really taste the spinach at all in this recipe, which is great if you're not a fan of it. Keep in mind however, that eating leafy green vegetables can help lower blood pressure over time.(1)

The main flavors from the sour cream and mayonnaise are a zesty flavor. You can also jazz it up and add some lemon juice, parsley, asiago cheese and garlic if you like for a super flavorful dip. A really impressive way to serve this dip is in some homemade bread, or in some freshly baked bread from the store or your favorite bakery.

References: (1) "4 science-based “superfoods” you should consider eating," Examine.com, published on 24 March 2015, last updated on 9 January 2018, https://examine.com/nutrition/4-science-based-superfoods-you-should-be-eating/