Dip into this creamy healthy snack

It’s just not a party at our house without Spinach-Artichoke Dip and a couple of loaves of freshly-baked crusty bread.
Though the addition of three different kinds of cheeses (including cream cheese) and butter adds quite a bit of fat to this dip, it is a fairly healthy snack. There is iron and an extremely good source of Vitamin K in the spinach and artichokes are high in Vitamin C and folate. And with 5.4 gram of fiber in a serving of artichokes it is additionally good for you. (Interestingly, artichokes are a part of the thistle family and are sometimes used to make a wine-like drink.)
To that healthy base you add a lot of creamy cheeses and you’ve got something that even the most hard core anti-vegetable person will love. Even people who say they don’t like artichokes will dig right into this stuff.
While many people like to make this with the emphasis on the cheese, I like to add a bit more vegetables and throw in a little cayenne for some extra kick.
Put this dip out at your party and there won’t be any left over.
It’s best served warm so I pour it into a small crock pot when I set it out on the buffet. It keeps the cheese melted and the veggies perfectly warm.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

1 10 ounce frozen spinach, thawed
1 10 ounce can marinated artichokes, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 stick butter
Cayenne pepper, to taste

• Sauté onions in butter.
• Add the ingredients in this order (mix well after adding each ingredient): spinach, cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts and cayenne.
• Remove from heat and put in crocks or microwave dish.
• Sprinkle with Mozzarella and put under the broiler just until the cheese melts.
• Serve hot with chips or slices of freshly-baked crusty bread.

Lacto-vegetarian.