Super Bowl Recipe Challenge: Slow-Cooker Spinach Dip Vs. Bread Bowl Spinach Dip

Spinach dipsWe're getting ready for the showdown between the New England Patriots and New York Giants by cooking up some pleasing football party foods in our Super Bowl Recipe Challenge. Each day we'll be pitting two delicious recipes against each other and declaring one a winner. Join us today as we make spinach dip.

Spinach dip at a Super Bowl party is pretty much mandatory. Not just because it's a delicious snacking favorite, but also because it may be the only vegetable consumed the entire evening. So it's important.

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But there are so many recipes out there, how to choose? I went for simplicity and tried two of the easiest recipes I could find. The first was the traditional spinach in a bread bowl, cold dip; and the second was a hot spinach-artichoke dip made in my slow cooker -- both recipes came from FoodNetwork.com. Read on to find out which one my fans say was the winner.

First, the recipes:

Spinach Bread Dip

• 1 package Knorr vegetable soup mix
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 box frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 loaves round peasant bread

In a large bowl, combine soup mix and sour cream.

Strain excess water from spinach and add to dip mixture. Stir to combine.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Slice a circle around top of bread and remove inside and cut into bite sized pieces. Fill hole with spinach dip. Cut other bread loaf into cubes and serve with dip.

Slow-Cooker Spinach Dip

• 1 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 box thawed frozen spinach (be sure and squeeze as much excess water as you can from it)
• 1 jar artichoke hearts
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high, 2 hours.

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The Results:

I served both dishes at a family gathering, and everyone really liked both. The bread bowl version always looks fun and adds some zing to a buffet, but it was hard to compete with the warm gooey version from the slow cooker. I wish I had left the dip in the slow cooker and just served it from there, but I was trying to make it look nice so I spooned it into a bowl. It was fine at first, but after awhile, it quickly got cold and less appetizing. Next time, I'll sacrifice aesthetics for taste.

In the end, the slow-cooker version still won the most votes, but you can't lose with either of these recipes. Both are easy, delicious, and get in some greens. Why not just serve both?

What's your favorite way to make spinach dip?

Images via Julie Ryan Evans

Written by Julie Ryan Evans on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

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