spinach artichoke and asparagus dipspinach artichoke and asparagus dipspinach artichoke and asparagus dipspinach artichoke and asparagus dipAnother Super Bowl recipe!

Watching a football game is great for two reasons – the actual game and the food. Whether you’re tailgating or viewing it from your couch, football is definitely an American past time. Growing up, we watched football all the time, then it died away for a bit until my brother was a sports newscaster on his college TV station haha. Yeah, hysterical right? Well his involvement in the show revived my family’s interest in watching the sport and since then, we’ve  consistently tuned in. Since football is pretty much synonymous with snacks, every so often I whip up a “fancy” recipe to commemorate the game instead of just opening a bag of chips. This year for the Super Bowl, one of my creations was spinach, artichoke, and asparagus dip.

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Wait what? Did I just make a spinach and artichoke recipe with asparagus in it? Who messes with an American classic?! Well I did and it’s freakin’ awesome so shut yo mouth! This dip is super creamy and decadent from all the cheese but doesn’t skimp on any veggie awesomeness. The the asparagus gives such a great texture to the dip while also providing a subtle twist to the flavors. It’s a match made in vegetable heaven. Behold the power of green! haha. One of the secrets to this dip is a splash of soy sauce in it. The soy gives a salty smokey bite that’s really savory. It’s great. Oh and the red pepper flakes (I was going use hot sauce, but we’re out **hint hint mom and dad ;)**).

But hold up! My favorite part of this recipe isn’t the oozy goozy deliciousness of the actual dip…it’s the AMAZING cheesy crust that gets an added crunch from French fried onions. Yup, those little suckers you put on a typical green bean casserole get plopped on top of this silkily addictive appetizer. The crunch amps it up to perfection levels never reached before. Seriously – this dip goes where no dip has gone before! And after scooping up some with a chip, you never want to go back.

So flip on the game, kick up your feet, and dig into some dip with me! :D

 

5 tablespoons butter

5 garlic cloves (minced)

7 oz baby spinach

8-10 asparagus spears (sliced)

6 oz artichoke hearts (thawed/drained)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons flour

1 3/4 cup milk

6 oz plain Greek yogurt

1/4 – 1/3 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup white cheddar cheese (shredded)

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)

Panko, to taste (optional)

French Fried Onions, to taste (optional)

Salt/pepper, to taste

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir in garlic, cook for 3 mins. Add spinach and red pepper flakes with a pinch of salt/pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove spinach, squeezing the liquid back into the pan. Chop spinach.

Add the artichokes and sliced asparagus to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is evaporated and the veggies get golden brown. Remove from pan and gently chop.

Put the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter in the pan. Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in milk, yogurt, and soy sauce. When the liquid is warm, add in the 3 cheeses (saving a pinch of each). Add pinch of salt/pepper. Stir until thick and smooth.

Sir in chopped vegetables and pour mixture into a greased pie pan. Sprinkle with the extra pinches of cheese. Sprinkle with panko and French fried onions.

Bake for 15 minutes and then switch to broiler. Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until top is lightly golden.

Serve with chips, pita, vegetables, or anything else. Enjoy!