Spinach & Artichoke Dip With..... ?
 

After watching Oprah's Favorite Things show I just had to buy chicken pot pies from Harry & David. I had no choice. I also bought spinach & artichoke dip as an impulse buy. I figured I can have it with chips. Well, it so happens that I just made last minute plans to see some family Christmas eve. They said to bring some kind of chips or just anything to munch on. It's very casual.

I think the spinach/artichoke dip will be great and it looks fantastic in it's fancy little jar. However, I don't want to carry a bag of chips alongside. So, what do I bring? Should I get a platter of vegetables? Should I get chips or some kind of crackers or pita bread? A bread bowl and put the jar in the center?

Help. But please keep it simple!

Ha! I'll be right over! I'll eat the dip and you can start from scratch! (JK)

Hehe! I like the veggie platter best! :D

Panini bread! It's soooooo good with S&A dip. :)

You could cut up a loaf of italian bred into mini bites and then heat the dip and use toothpicks to dip. I still would go for the chips myself.:D

I'm going with Cathy suggestion above. When I've had this type of dip at an Italian restaurant it was served with small crusty breads slices.....delish!:)

Thanks everyone. I think I prefer some kind of bread over veggies for taste, although it would be pretty easy to buy a veggie platter.

I have to cook the italian bread? :eek:

Also the jar says it's good hot or cold. It would be better hot, correct?

I like the bread bowl idea, but a thicker higher quality bread usually works best (and with such uber S&A dip you don't want to ruin it with sub-par bread :p). Your best bet is probably to buy a loaf from a bakery of some sort and cube it. White based breads (such as panini or italian) are probably the best choice grain wise.

I got the chicken pies and the Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese is to die for. I took it to a Christmas dog meet and it was a big hit. Had to go order more but it is rather expensive. Have you tried the chicken pie? Ummmm good.

It is best hot, so hot it will burn the roof of your mouth. Chips....multi colored thin Chips! Regular, green and black. Thinner the better!

I agree -- crusty bread slices, little wedges are perfect with spinach artichoke dip. I love that dip at one of our local restaurants and made one & put it out with slices from a nice baguette of bread last Christmas eve, only to find my recipe was off and I hated the dip. :( I will probably just order some next time myself. Still don't know what I did wrong.

Got it, but your recommendation sounds dangerous. Sharp chips and sizzling dip. Hmm...

Haven't tried it yet. Will soon!

Good idea but I'm not domesticated at all! I will ruin the S&A dip by personally cubing bread.

I can only assume that the Harry & David dip is good. It should be for the price.:rolleyes:

i use a english muffin toasting bread for dips. you buy it toast it and cut into tiny squares. we use this for our BLT dip which is AMAZING btw. it's literally bacon, tomato, and mayonaise dip....it's sooo good. but yea english muffin toasting bread toasted and cut into squares should work...i like the tri color chip idea too. pretty and seasonal.

I always use french bread with artichoke dip. You just tast it a little...or not. :)

If the dip is so hot it is still bubbling, and loaded with Garlic, it does not matter what you scoop it up with! Now I am hungry and Marge is out! May have to take her out to dinner witha a nice appetizer when she gets home in a while. Nothing but the best for her, Fridays or Chilli's!

Applebeas has a good spinach and artichoke dip app:D

Thanks everyone! Now I think i want BLT dip with any kind of chips and bread.

You could always just rip it into pieces! It wouldn't look as nice, but it would get the job done :p I'm not kitchen inclined either... I tend to hurt myself :rolleyes:

Update on the dip
 

My partner just came home from work and I mentioned my dip idea. Well, it was unknown that I had Harry & Davids spinach and artichoke dip and upon the reveal I was yelled at. "No way are you crazy? You aren't bringing that! We are saving it for us". :eek:

True holiday spirit.

ROFLMAO Sounds like someone is hungry :D

When I make my own spinach dip (using the recipe on the back of Knorr vegetable soup mix), I buy one of those round loaves of Hawaiian bread, hollow out the center, and put the dip in the center. You can cube up the piece you cut out, and toast it, but I prefer it with wheatables crackers. Some people like chips, or veggie sticks with it, too.

Thanks, but it looks like I'm not bringing the dip. As far as experiencing it at home, I'll just have lots of bread and a variety of chips!!

I usually serve my artichoke dip with tortilla chips. I like Tostito's Rounds because they're bite sized. Sometimes I serve it with those little loaves of cocktail bread that come in all different flavors.

If you want to save the dip for yourselves, I have an awesome recipe for hot artichoke dip that is very easy to make. Whenever my friends ask me to bring a munchie this is what they request that I bring.

BTW...Beecher's Mac and Cheese is awesome. My daughter used to work at the Mercer Island restaurant that is owned by the owner of Beecher's Cheese and they serve it there. Ymmmm....and I have the recipe for it. Their Flagship cheese is the main cheese and they also use some jack cheese. Flagship cheese is really good and I love to shred it and serve it over spaghetti noodles coated in butter and garlic. Now I'm really hungry.

Holy cow that sounds good! I've been on a food fest lately as I keep telling myself I'll lose those 15 pounds after the new year. I'm trying to pack in whatever I can now;)

You have a recipe and you are not as you speak typing it out??!!??? Or is it a secret you are not allowed to share? I am a mac and cheese FREAK!!! Seriously. if you can share it, please please please....

OK, you twisted my arm. As far as I know this is not a secret because I found it on the internet. Here is is:

Beecher’s 'WORLD'S BEST' MAC AND CHEESE


SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH
• 6 ounces penne pasta
• 2 cups Beecher's Flagship Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 ounce cheddar, grated ( 1/4 cup)
• 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated ( 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Oil or butter an 8-inch baking dish.

Cook the penne 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Rinse pasta in cold water and set aside.

Combine cooked pasta and Flagship Sauce in a medium bowl and mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the cheeses and then the chile powder. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
NOTE: If you double the recipe to make a main dish, bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan for 30 minutes.

BEECHER'S FLAGSHIP CHEESE SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 14 ounces semihard cheese, such as Beecher's Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 2 ounces grated semisoft cheese, such as Beecher's Just Jack
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, salt, chile powder and garlic powder. Stir until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to three days.

NOTE: A single batch of sauce makes enough for a double recipe of macaroni and cheese.

Can most of you buy Beecher's Flagship Cheese where you live? Because it's made here in Seattle, we can find it at Costco and most major grocery stores. I'm not sure how the availability is around the rest of the states.

The spaghetti is easy to make and very good. While your noodles are draining, in the same pan melt enough butter to coat the noodles, add granulated garlic and salt to taste. Dish noodles onto plate and sprinkle with shredded Flagship. Add a salad and french bread and you have a 20 min. meal.

Thank you soooo much. I've never even heard of this cheese and I've been like, everywhere! Can you perhaps, give me an example of a cheese brand that you would compare it most closely to, if you absolutely had to substitute it with something nationally known?Is it a cheddary, swissy, gorgonzolay......

nevermind, I found it..yay google. They say it is a cross between gruyere and cheddar... thank you again!

I'm a very visual person, so I do expect some photos after you make this delicious recipe.:)

you got it!:)