"Semi-Homemade" Spinach Dip

One of my favorite dips/spreads that I don't indulge in very often is spinach dip.

Way back when, I posted my version that I usually make around holidays--the traditional one that we all make, with sour cream, mayo, frozen chopped spinach, dry soup mix, and water chestnuts. I love the stuff, even though I'm not much for just plain old spinach. I usually make it around a holiday, any holiday, to take to a family dinner or church supper, because I'm the only one in my immediate household who eats it. (They tend to turn their nose up at things that have a certain look, or has ingredients they think they may not like. It's their loss!) At any rate, I usually only make it to take it.

Not long ago, though, I decided to try a semi-homemade version that an acquaintance had brought to a church dinner, and who willingly shared her "secret recipe" with me. It has only two ingredients, and while it makes enough, it doesn't make a huge bowl that I have to eat on for a week.


Ingredients:

• Pre-made Creamy Spinach Dip (pretend you can't tell I ate some straight from the jar--just to taste test for comparison, you understand)
• 8 oz pkg cream cheese

Soften the cream cheese, and mix well with the bought spinach dip. That's it.

Like all dips, it gets better as it sits and the flavors combine. The cream cheese makes it thicker than regular spinach dip, so you may want to let it sit out and soften a bit before serving, especially if you're serving it with chips, but the texture makes it a perfect spread to have with crackers.

This version is so tasty, I think I may add a chunk of cream cheese the next time I make the regular version, too, just to see how it turns out. Face it, anything with sour cream and cream cheese in it can't be bad!

This post is linked to:

Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Until next time, good (un)cooking, and good eating!

Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Welcome visitors from the Ultimate Blog Party 2010!

As a Girl Raised In The South, and a working-outside-the-home mom for most of my married life, "quickandeasy" was always the first part of any recipe that found a home in my recipe stash. And while I now have a bit more discretionary time, I still don't want to spend all day in the kitchen, so many of the recipes here still have those same quick and easy qualities.

My posts here range from Southern Staples like:

Buttermilk Biscuits

Cornbread

My very first "scratch" pie crust

Not-Your-Granny's Banana Pudding

Two kinds of Blackberry Pie

and of course that Southern beverage staple, Sweet Tea

...to newer fare like:

Make-Your-Own Seasoned Snack Crackers

Stovetop Barbeque Chicken

Cranberry Relish

Make Your Own Roux the easy way--in the oven

Quick and Easy Chicken Alfredo Pizza

And one of my favorite holiday beverages, Egg-less Egg Nog

So pull up a chair and browse, I hope you find something you like!

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!

Chocolate Layered Dessert--the Original Mississippi Mud Pie

I made one of my most favorite desserts for Sunday's holiday dinner. I just call it Chocolate Layered Dessert, but I've also seen it called Chocolate Yum-Yum and Mississippi Mud Pie.

Like most of my favorite recipes, this one is simple to make; and although the crust is baked for a few minutes, it's a a good one for hot weather because it requires little actual cooking and makes for a cool and delicious ending to any meal, holiday or not.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 t sugar (optional)
• 1/3 c chopped pecans

Cut the flour and sugar into the softened butter, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in chopped nuts, and press into the bottom of an 8 x 8 oven proof dish. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Cool completely

Layer one:

• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 c powdered sugar
• 1 c cool whip or whipped cream
• 1 t vanilla

Mix everything together and spread on the cooled crust.

Layer two:

• 1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 1/2 c cold milk

Whisk together milk and pudding mix, then pour over the cream cheese layer

Refrigerate until set.

Layer three:

At this point, I usually add an additional layer of cool whip or whipped cream. Occasionally, as I did this time, I add the topping to each individual serving. Sometimes I add a few chocolate shavings on top, or few finely chopped nuts, just to look pretty.

Variations:

Although most people these days make this with chocolate, when this recipe first made the rounds years ago, it was also made with vanilla, lemon, or butterscotch pudding.

Instead of pudding, you can also use fruit pie filling--it's especially good with cherry or blueberry.

What's your favorite flavor of this yummy layered dessert?

This post is linked to:

Meatless Monday at Sweet and Savory

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Tuesday at the Table at All the Small Stuff

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Chocolate Obsession at My Sweet and Savory

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!