Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is a crowd-pleasing appetizer that we've discovered just in the last few months. It's very easy to make, which is a good thing because it will get scarfed up quickly. The recipe is originally from one of those Betty Crocker cook book pamphlets that you pick up on your way through the grocery check out; I used to do a lot of work at General Mills and acquired a large collection of them that way. The original recipe called for a little crab added to the recipe. I forgot about the crab the first time I made it and didn't miss it, so I haven't added it since. The original recipe also called for frozen spinach (a ten-ounce box). I am much more likely to have fresh spinach on hand than frozen, so I just put in a few handfuls of fresh spinach until the colors (spinach vs. artichoke) look balanced.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
2-3 cups fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (I think I usually use a combination of the two)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mayonnaise and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Stir in most of the remaining cheese, reserving a little bit to sprinkle on top as a garnish.

Spoon into a medium-sized baking dish (about 1 quart). Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

We've tried eating this with a variety of crackers, chips, etc. I think our hands down favorite is some lightly toasted baguette slices.