Olive Garden Spinach & Artichoke Dip

• fresh artichokes2
• lemon, juice of, squeezed↗1
• teaspoon salt↗1
• OR
• (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced1
• lb cream cheese, room temperature↗1
• ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature↗8
• tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted↗2
• cup parmesan cheese, grated↗1
• teaspoon fresh thyme leave↗1⁄4
• teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes↗1⁄4
• tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped↗1
• fresh garlic clove, minced↗1
• green onions, chopped↗5
• salt↗
• ground black pepper↗
• (6 ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped↗1
• slices crusty Italian bread↗8
• extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)↗

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325ºF.

2. 2

   TRIM off stems and dry leaf ends.

3. 3

   BOIL artichokes in 3 quarts water with 1 tsp salt and lemon juice for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   COOL artichokes. Clean, peel, remove center “choke” (the hairy part) and slice artichoke.

5. 5

   FOLLOW Dip Preparation steps below.

6. 6

   MIX all ingredients in a large bowl, except bread and extra virgin olive oil.

7. 7

   COAT a large non-stick baking pan with pan spray; fill pan with mixture. Bake at 325ºF for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and center is hot.

8. 8

   DRIZZLE both sides of bread with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread on both sides.

9. 9

   SPRINKLE top of heated dip with parmesan cheese. Serve hot with grilled bread.