Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is yet another of my Super Bowl recipes. It doesn't really count as a new recipe, since I've made it a few times before. But this time, I harnessed the power of my food processor to make it much, much easier to prepare. Have I mentioned how much I love my food processor? $30 clearance at Wal-Mart and some of the best money I ever spent. But for those of you poor souls without a food processor, don't despair. This recipe can still be delicious if made by hand.

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip


Based heavily on this recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. The tweaks are mostly things that happened accidentally when I had more or less of a certain ingredient, or was just feeling adventurous.

10 oz. package of baby spinach
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
8 oz. mozzarella
4 oz. Parmesan
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
3 T. minced garlic

I make this recipe in my 6 quart crock pot, but there's enough extra space that it could probably fit easily in a 4 or 5 quart.

First, chop or tear the spinach; I usually tear it by hand, but this time, I decided to use the food processor.

Before

After

I had to do it in three batches, but it still took about two minutes, as opposed to the 5 or 10 it can take if tearing or chopping by hand. I dumped the chopped spinach into the slow cooker, getting so excited by my cleverness that I forgot to put in the liner at first (no, I didn't take a picture of that).

Then I used the food processor to chop the artichokes, because who wants a big slimy piece of artichoke in their dip?

Before (no, I didn't clean the food processor. Why do you ask?)

After

Then the artichokes joined their chopped spinach brethren in the slow cooker. 

After that, I shredded the cheeses in the food processor, and added the cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic.

And I cooked it on high for 3 hours until the guests got there, stirring it at about 2 hours to mix everything together once the cheese was all melty.

Before stirring (big, gloopy mess)

After stirring (lovely, edible dip)

It was a big hit, and there was enough for me to have leftovers :D Mwahahahaha! And have I mentioned how fantastic the slow cooker liners made by Reynolds are? I know they're non-renewable, but after a big party, being able to just pull the mess out of my slow cooker and throw it away makes me very, very happy.

Favorite Recipe Friday: Guacamole

I grew up thinking I hated guacamole. I didn't like avocados, and any guacamole I'd ever had at a Mexican restaurant was sickly brown-green and tasted disgusting. This might have had something to do with the quality of the Mexican restaurants I frequented, but I digress.

So around the time I was pregnant with my first child, my mom started making homemade guacamole. I was highly skeptical, but I tried some to be polite, and I fell in love. It was amazing! The perfect balance of flavors, saltiness, everything. It was perfect. I swear it tasted green (I also swear I don't usually go around tasting colors). I knew I had to start making it for myself. I made it by hand, mashing the ingredients together with a pastry blender, but the texture was chunkier than I really liked, and it was waaaay too time-consuming for someone with a baby who wanted to be held all the time. So one day in Wal-Mart I saw a food processor on clearance for $30, and my love affair with guacamole has continued unhindered. Except when the food processor is dirty because I forgot to wash it. This happened a lot before we got a dishwasher.

Anyway, this recipe can be scaled up or down as desired; the quantities below are the small size I make for myself and my daughter to eat. It can be made by hand if you like a chunkier texture, or in a food processor if you like it smooth. You can even add tomatoes if you want. I know some people like them in guacamole, but I have a hate/hate relationship with tomatoes in their basic form, so I leave them out.

Guacamole

2 overripe avocados (You want them a little soft. Not super squishy, because then they're usually bruised)
1 T. minced garlic (I like a lot of garlic)
1 T. lime juice
1 T. dried cilantro
1 t. salt
1 slice onion
1/4 Anaheim pepper (optional; since my daughter started eating this with me, I usually leave it out)

Slice the avocados in half, cutting around the pit. Remove the pit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Combine avocados and all other ingredients in food processor and process until desired texture is reached

If processing by hand, mash all ingredients together in large bowl using fork, potato masher, pastry blender, or other tool  until desired texture is reached.

To keep guacamole from turning brown , pat it down smoothly in the bowl and make sure there are no air pockets (air is what makes it turn brown; stupid oxidization). Take a piece of plastic wrap and press it down gently into the surface of the guacamole, making sure there are no air pockets under the plastic.