Buttermilk waffles

I've only made waffles one other time, but I have to say, my parents, older-than-me, waffle iron is awesome! The waffles make an excellent change up to our breakfast routine. This recipe makes a TON of waffles-like 20-24 and that's no exaggeration. So definitely think about cutting this in half unless you're making them for a lot of people.

Buttlermilk waffles-adapted from Cuisinart Recipe Booklet
Total time: 20 minutes
Makes 20-24 waffles

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups lowfat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Lightly coat your waffle maker with cooking spray and preheat to desired setting.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix the dry ingredients to sift.

In two other large bowls, separate the egg whites and egg yolks. Put the buttermilk, milk, vanilla and melted butter in with the egg yolks and mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.

Whip the egg whites with a mixer approximately 2 minutes until firm peaks form. Carefully incorporate egg whites into the batter, being careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter into your waffle maker and cook to desired doneness.

Shredded pork burritos with tomatillo sauce

Aren't slow cooker's the greatest thing ever? I just love that I can put everything together the night before, and have minimal work to do when I get home. This pork recipe is more sweet than spicy for tacos-probably good if you have picky eaters.

But--those of you that like spicy food, do not dispair. I made the tomatillo sauce a bit spicy and it was absolutely heavenly. I wish I had more recipes for tomatillos. I will be honest, I don't really know what they are or how I should use them, but I always like when I do use them.

TIP: Since this is a bone-in roast, when I remove the bones, I put them in a gallon freezer bag, and keep in the freezer. Once the bag is full of bones, I'll make a bone broth out of it!

I will say though, I got to use my new Ninja blender for this, but ended up cutting my finger on the blade (it's really sharp!) :(  I am fine, but it definitely hurts!

Scott always makes fun of me for the amount of stuff I put in my tacos/burritos. Do you think it's too much for one girl to eat??

My burrito

Tomatillo sauce

Shredded pork burritos with tomatillo sauce-adapted from Taste of Home's Easy Back to School Meals

Total time: 9 hours

Serves 16

For the pork:

• 1 bone-in pork shoulder roast (5 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 3 teaspoons paprika, divided
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces cola
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

For the sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tomatillos, husks removed
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 16 flour tortillas
• Cheese, black olives, lettuce, sour cream-for serving

Place roast in a greased 5-quart slow cooker. Cover with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, pepper flakes, cumin, salt, cola, chicken broth, onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. 

Shred the meat (sometimes I can do it right in the crock, sometimes I need to put it on a cutting board-do whatever is comfortable for you). Discard the bones. Return meat to slow cooker if removed. Stir in remaining brown sugar and paprika. Cover and continue to cook on low until heated through and sauce is done.

For the sauce, in a blender, combine the mayonnaise, milk, tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno, ranch mix, lime juice, garlic and cayenne. Cover and process until blended. Pour into a small bowl and chill until serving.

Using a slotted spoon, fill each tortilla with your desired amount of pork, and top with you favorite toppings and the tomatillo sauce.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

One of our favorite things to have a gathering (i.e. Packer party) is the Steakhouse Potato Salad from Pick 'n Save. I came across this recipe and decided to try it on my own. It turned out great, I think better than the premade kind from the store!

I also have to say, I kind of cheated and didn't actually bake the potatoes. I also kept the skins on, but you could surely peel them if you prefer.

Prep of the potatoes

Final product

Loaded Baked Potato Salad-adapted from So, How's It Taste?

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 12

• 6 red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Cut potatoes into quarters and boil for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl and toss with apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Gently stir in remainder of ingredients to coat entire potato salad. Keep cool and serve immediately.

Cookies and Cream Poke Cake

At work awhile ago, a coworker explained what poke cake is to me. I had never heard of it before. I didn't have an urge to go home and make it, but I did have in mind that I wanted to bake something for my team for really stepping up and doing a good job.

As soon as I got home and logged onto Facebook, I saw this recipe in my news feed! I first laughed, and then I decided it looked both easy and delicious that I just had to make it. It was delicious, to the point that Scott couldn't believe that I wasn't letting him and I eat it all. It's a very quick and easy dessert to make, and I'm pretty sure it's fool proof, which makes it even better.

Cookies and Cream Poke Cake-adapted from Tidy Mom
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves 16

• 1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake on box)
• 1 box cookies and cream pudding mix
• 8 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 8 ounces Cool Whip
• 12-15 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake mix according to package directions and add the pudding mix to the batter. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes.

After cake cools, use a small knife to poke holes in half inch intervals. Pour condensed milk over top of cake and smooth over all corners of cake. Let cake continue to cool and sink in.

Once cake is cooled, Top with Cool Whip and Oreos. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tortellini Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

Pasta salads are probably my favorite thing to take to parties. They're just so easy to put together ahead of time, and you don't have to worry about keeping them particularly cold or hot, as long as they aren't out so long you have to think about bacteria issues (yuck). Tortellini is one of my favorite pastas to put in pasta salad simply because it's so hearty and gives extra texture to the dish.

I loved this particular recipe. I thought the vinaigrette was sweet yet tangy, and adding the peperoncini's just added a little something extra. I also liked that the dressing can be added up to a day before, without worrying about sogginess. Using the tri-colored tortellini brought some extra color to the dish which is always fun too!

Tortellini Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette-adapted from That's Some Good Cookin'
Total Time: 20 Minutes + time for chilling
Serves 10
Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried basil

Pasta

• 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped peperoncini

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse, and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all ingredients for dressing and whisk well. 

Place pasta in a large serving bowl, and add in other ingredients for the pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss lightly to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour to cool completely.

This can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Just stir the pasta before serving.

Apple Wild Rice Salad

So after making this dish I learned Scott is not a fan of wild rice. Which shocks me! I love the heartiness of wild rice and think it really brings something extra to a meal! The one thing I'm not particularly fond of--how long it takes to cook! I don't know that I've ever cooked with true wild rice (not from a box), so that was a bit of a shock for me!

Back to the recipe...

I didn't realize how much this recipe makes, but its TEN FREAKING SERVINGS! so I would definitely recommend halving it unless you want a lot of leftovers or are bringing this to a party. I like this idea for a party because it's actually supposed to be served cold! Because I'm terrible at fully reading directions before I start something, I didn't realize how long this would take and we ate it warm. It was still pretty good, but, if you're like Scott and not a wild rice fan, it's most likely not for you!

Apple Wild Rice Salad-adapted from Taste of Home

Total Time: 1 hour + chilling, if desired

Serves 10

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
• 2 gala apples, chopped
• 2 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup orange juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Cook wild rice according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss apples with two tablespoons orange juice. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Add apples to rice, and drizzle dressing, tossing to coat. Refrigerate until chilled, if desired.

Parmesan Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Normally when I make mashed potatoes, I just throw in some seasoned pepper, garlic salt, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, milk...really whatever I have on hand. For Thanksgiving, I decided to try an actual recipe for mashed potatoes. I thought these ended up fluffy and tasty! As always with mashed potatoes, don't just pour in the entire amount of milk. You'll want to add it gradually so you don't accidentally make them into soup.

Parmesan Rosemary Mashed Potatoes-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 12

• 5 pounds baby red potatoes, peeled (optional) and cubed
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for 15-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain; return to pan. Mash potatoes, adding in all other ingredients. Slowly add milk to reach desired consistency.

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

I recently went to the Taste of Home Cooking School at the Waukesha County Expo. This is the fourth time I've gone to one of these shows! They're a little repetitive, a little cheesy, but you still get some great food tips, cookbooks and other swag that makes it totally worth it! This recipe was one of the ones that was demoed. I almost didn't make it, but it smelled so good when she made it, and Scott seems to like things made with Bisquick!

These were incredibly good! They were moist, but so easy to just pop in your mouth! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef as that was what I had on hand. I didn't have any tomatoes or sliced pickles (totally thought I did though), but they really just need some ketchup or ranch! These are perfect for those nights that you just don't know what to make. I don't know about you, but I usually have pancake mix and some form of ground beef on hand! I also think these would be great with Italian sausage next time!

Mini Cheeseburger Pies-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School, Fall 2013
Total Time:  45 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pancake mix
• 2 eggs
• Ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, optional for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-tin muffin cups with baking spray.

In a large skillet, cook beef, garlic and onion over medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, pancake mix and eggs until blended. Spoon scant 1 tablespoon of mixture into bottom of each muffin tin. Top with 1/4 cup of the burger mixture, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto the burger in each tin.

Bake 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes. With a spoon or thin knife, loosen sides of muffins from the pan and serve with garnishes, if desired.

Chili Con Queso Dip

I had some leftover Velveeta from the Broccoli and Pork Rice Bowl that I wanted to use up, and I love cheese dip. This recipe really spoke to me since it had a little more to it than just Rotel and cheese. It was easy, but really had that extra something with the cream cheese added to it! I just heated it up according to the directions and then keep in a slow cooker on low, stirring every once in awhile.

January 2015

I made this again, but instead of doing it on the stove first, I just threw everything into the slow cooker. It seems to take a bit longer to get everything melted, but it all works the same in the end!

Chili Con Queso Dip-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 12

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 ounces Velveeta, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried clinatro
• Tortilla chips

Drain both cans tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Measure out 1/3 cup of the liquid and reserve or throw away the remainder.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in velveeta, tomatoes, chili powder and cilantro until smooth. Serve with chips

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies

Yesterday, I kind of went on a baking spree. To make the Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread, I accidentally bought way too many peanut butter cups. Instead of just stuffing my face with all of them (which I really do not want to do), I decided to make more food to share with others. These were definitely the best of the night! Super easy and just a great twist on regular rice krispie treats, which are, in and of themselves, amazing.

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats-adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Makes 16 bars

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups rice krispies
• 6 bite sized peanut butter cups (or 3 regular size), chopped

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Carefully stir in rice krispies and peanut butter cups. Spoon into an 8x8 baking dish and cool before serving.

Herbed Quinoa Salad

I haven't cooked with the superfood ingredient, quinoa, until NOW! And, let me tell you, it was totally worth it! The flavors in this were greek-inspired and just awesome. This was a huge hit at the Memorial Day party we went to.

Herbed Quinoa Salad-adapted from What's Gaby Cooking
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cups chopped parsley
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup halved kalamata olives
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Bring chicken stock and quinoa to a boil in a large pot and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for 15 minutes, until all the water evaporates. Remove from pot and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the spices and olive oil until it resembles a pesto. Combine the herb mixture and quinoa. Add in cucumber, tomato, olives and feta cheese. Gently toss to combine.

Cheesy Potatoes

These were potentially the yummiest and easiest potato side dish I've ever made. Using Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, instead of a colby or cheddar definitely made a difference! There was plenty to share and everyone loved them! I'm so sad I forgot to take a picture. The potatoes weren't browning, so I ended up turning on the broiler for a few minutes and it worked perfectly!

Cheesy Potatoes-adapted from the General Store of Minnetonka Cookbook
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 12

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups half and half
• 30 ounces frozen hash browns, thawed
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine butter and half and half. Stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Place potatoes, cheese and seasonings in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour butter mixture over top of potatoes and stir lightly to mix. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Cucumber Salsa

I've been trying to find a good homemade salsa recipe. This one from Pinterest is definitely a good favorite! I never would've thought to put cucumber as the main ingredient in a salsa, but it was wonderfully refreshing. It was cool, and light, and absolutely delicious! The cumin and jalapeno give it good heat and flavor. The only thing I wasn't super thrilled about is if you don't use it right away it will start to get a little watery. I'll be making it for more parties this summer!

Cucumber Salsa-adapted from Keeping It Together
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Makes 2 1/2 cups

• 2 cups finely chopped, seeded and peeled cucumber
• 1/2 cup finely chopped, seeded tomato
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

Chili-Barbecue Sandwiches

I made these for the Superbowl and they were a big hit. I definitely added more barbecue sauce than the recipe asked for, but it was worth it. The flavors were great, and using a roast definitely made it tasty!

Chili-Barbecue Sandwiches-Adapted from Betty Crocker
Total Time: 8 Hours
Servings: 10

• 3 pound beef chuck roast
• 1 packet chili seasoning
• 32 ounce bottle barbecue sauce
• 1 small onion, diced
• 10 kaiser rolls
• 10 slices cheddar cheese

Trim fat from roast and place in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Top with chili seasoning, barbecue sauce and onion. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove beef and shred into pieces. Serve with cheddar cheese.

Best of Heat's Kitchen-January 2013

The most viewed posts from January!

1. Feta Pasta Salad--a huge hit for gatherings! So delicious!

2. Scalloped Potatoes and Ham-When you want some comfort food, but don't want to stand over the stove or oven all day!

3. Switch up your plain ol' chicken breasts with Mushroom-Herb Chicken!

4. A great, simple, yummy egg bake! Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

5. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes-To use up that extra buttermilk you have from some other recipe!

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

I made this for breakfast on Christmas morning. I had bought a bunch of cottage cheese when it was on sale and realized that I still had a bunch leftover. I thought this was great! It was so easy to put together and delicious to eat! I'll definitely use it going forward with company!

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake-adapted from TheKitchenCookie
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 6

• 1 bag frozen shredded hash browns
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 pound cooked ham, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided.
• 24 ounces small curd, fat free cottage cheese
• 6 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer, in order, in a 9x13 inch baking pan hash browns, butter, onion, mushrooms, ham, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese. Top with eggs, and remaining cheese. Cook in oven for about one hour.

Feta Pasta Salad

I'm learning to love pasta salads! The antipasto pasta salad I made recently was a favorite, but this one is really good too! It was really easy and had some great flavors to it! It's great for a gathering!


Total Time: 20 MinutesFeta Pasta Salad-Adapted from LuLu's Recipe Box
Serves 10

• 12 ounces bowtie pasta
• 1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 white onion, chopped
• 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup black olives
• 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

• 1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (make According To Directions On Envelope)
• 3 teaspoons dried parsley
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Prepare all of the vegetables.

For the dressing, prepare the Good Seasons Italian dressing according to the package instructions with vinegar, olive oil and water. Then add the rest of the dressing ingredients. Shake well in a dressing bottle or small tupperware container.

Combine pasta, cheese and vegetables in large bowl. Add salad dressing and toss lightly with minced fresh basil.

Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

A friend of ours had a potluck for her birthday/the holiday season and I made these potatoes. I wanted something I could put in the slow cooker because I knew she was making a turkey, and I didn't know how much space there would be in the oven. The funny thing is, almost everyone there brought something in the slow cooker (even the turkey!). It was a slow cooker party, and it was amazing. Even funnier, I think every single dish has some sort of meat in it!

Overall, these potatoes were really good. I was a little skeptical about making potatoes in the slow cooker, but in all honesty, they turned out well! They were relatively easy to get ready, with the exception of peeling and slicing the potatoes. But in the end, the potatoes turned out really well cooked and with a lot of flavor to it!

Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham-Adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 8 Hours
Serves 16

• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 10 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups cubed cooked ham
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Combine soups and milk in a small bowl. Layer half the potatoes, ham, onions and soup mixture in a greased 5-quart slow cooker. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with paprika and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Baked Spaghetti

This recipe was really flavorful and delicious. It makes a TON of food however. So this would be great to either make two dishes & freeze one, or for a large gathering. The flavors are great, and since it's baked it gets nice and cheesy.

Baked Spaghetti-Adapted from The General Store of Minnetonka Cookbook
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 10

• 16 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 jars spaghetti sauce
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, brown and drain beef and Italian sausage. Add onion, pepper, garlic and cook about 5 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in spaghetti, and cook until thoroughly mixed. 

Pour mixture into 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, and top with cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I've definitely made a few different spinach and/or artichoke dips over the course of this blog, and that's for a few reasons.
1. I love spinach artichoke dip.
2. They're usually very easy to make!

For work this holiday season, we had a pot-luck and I chose to bring an appetizer. I knew I wanted to make a hot dip, and wanted to use the small crock-pot I received for Christmas last year! I haven't yet made spinach dip in the slow cooker, it's usually in the oven or cold. But now that I have done this recipe, I'm confident that any of my others could be put on low for a few hours.

I really liked this recipe because it used other veggies in addition to spinach & artichokes, which many of my past recipes don't. Mushrooms are always a good addition :)

Spinach & Artichoke Dip-Adapted from Taste of Home

Total Time: 2 Hours

Makes 4 cups

• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 can water packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup chopped red pepper
• Bread, pita chips, or veggies for dipping

Melt butter in pan over medium heat and saute mushrooms until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Comine mayonnaise, cream cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Add the mushrooms, artichokes, spinach and red pepper.

Transfer to a 3-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Cover and cook for 2 hours on low, or until heated through. Serve with bread, pita chips or veggies.