With Druggy's new job, family dinners were born. The kids LOVE when I'm gone for the weekend and they are treated to Druggy's cooking - kid dinners. And sometimes, Druggy and I long for the days for kid-less dinners.
This meal is one of those meals, which we 'treat' ourselves to a couple times a month.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Buffalo Wings
Here's how my dip starts - and I have to say, it has never been made the same way twice, but it always tastes great (well, except the one time that I forgot the garlic - OMG - THE HORROR!)
Anyway - fresh spinach, sour cream, mayo (NOT to be confused with Miracle Whip), garlic and then the most variable items are the cheese - I shoot for both parm and mozzerlla if I have them both....if not, I use what I have!
Chop the spinach to get ready to cook. Why the fresh vs. frozen? Because. That's why.
Throw the chopped spinach into a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon or two of water and throw (well, not literally) into the microwave for 2 -3 minutes. I use about a 1/2 pound of spinach per batch of dip.
While the spinach is cooking, chop the artichokes. I buy a can of marniated artichoke hearts - one can makes two dip batches...so I fridge or freeze the remainder for the next batch.
Once the spinach is cooked, drain out the water and then throw in the rest of the ingredients. About 3/4 cups of sour cream and 1/2 cup of mayo, a couple cloves of the garlic, some good shakes of the parm cheese and a 1/2 cup or so of mozz cheese. One of my favorite kitchen tools, by far, is my Pampered Chef garlic press. A MUST have for any fresh garlic lover. MUST.
Mix.
Put into a baking dish. I use the Pampered Chef small oval baker - I love the size not only for the portion, but also because it fits into my toaster oven!
So toss it into the toaster oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so - when it's nice and toasty, bubbling with a bit of brown.
Now on to the Buffalo Wings. I get the family pack of wings which makes enough for one dinner for Druggy and I together, and leftovers for Druggy later in the week (sometimes the very next day...Druggy could eat wings 5 nights a week. And, in fact, has on occasion. But I digress).
Druggy makes the buffalo wings. Always. I do not make wings. Ever.
Here's what he does (I think). Cut the wings to separate the flats from the drumettes. He cooks them on a foil covered cookie sheet that has been liberally sprayed with cooking spray (he also sprays the tops of the wings to protect them from sticking after their mid-baking flip).
They cook for 40 minutes (in 15 minute intervals for flipping - well, the last one is only 10 minutes) at 400 degrees. In the meantime, he starts the sauce, which is one stick of real butter, melted slowly on the stove with the 'right' amount of Frank's Red Hot added. As a general rule, the taste of the Red Hot concoction on the stove is always hotter/spicier than what it tastes like in combo with the wings...so when you think it's just right, add more.
Druggy lovingly dunks each flat and drumette into the sauce and places in the bowl, and then pours the remaining sauce over top. I will not describe the grotesque consumption of the half-congealed sauce from the bowl following the very diligent wing consumption. The man can pick those bones cleaner than a buzzard does a carcass.
Then dinner is served.
We don't often have the celery and ranch with the wings (neither of us care for blue cheese all that much) . We serve the dip with just about anything we have in the house - pita chips, tortilla chips, bagel chips (I'm sensing a theme), Triscuits...sometimes all of the above.
Enjoy this adult meal while watching your newly arrived Netflix selection because you're never able to escape the yahoos long enough to eat this dinner in a restaurant and enjoy a movie in a theater. Then you'll be just like us.
Here's how my dip starts - and I have to say, it has never been made the same way twice, but it always tastes great (well, except the one time that I forgot the garlic - OMG - THE HORROR!)Anyway - fresh spinach, sour cream, mayo (NOT to be confused with Miracle Whip), garlic and then the most variable items are the cheese - I shoot for both parm and mozzerlla if I have them both....if not, I use what I have!
Chop the spinach to get ready to cook. Why the fresh vs. frozen? Because. That's why.Throw the chopped spinach into a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon or two of water and throw (well, not literally) into the microwave for 2 -3 minutes. I use about a 1/2 pound of spinach per batch of dip.
While the spinach is cooking, chop the artichokes. I buy a can of marniated artichoke hearts - one can makes two dip batches...so I fridge or freeze the remainder for the next batch.
Once the spinach is cooked, drain out the water and then throw in the rest of the ingredients. About 3/4 cups of sour cream and 1/2 cup of mayo, a couple cloves of the garlic, some good shakes of the parm cheese and a 1/2 cup or so of mozz cheese. One of my favorite kitchen tools, by far, is my Pampered Chef garlic press. A MUST have for any fresh garlic lover. MUST.
Mix.Put into a baking dish. I use the Pampered Chef small oval baker - I love the size not only for the portion, but also because it fits into my toaster oven!
So toss it into the toaster oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so - when it's nice and toasty, bubbling with a bit of brown.
Now on to the Buffalo Wings. I get the family pack of wings which makes enough for one dinner for Druggy and I together, and leftovers for Druggy later in the week (sometimes the very next day...Druggy could eat wings 5 nights a week. And, in fact, has on occasion. But I digress).
Druggy makes the buffalo wings. Always. I do not make wings. Ever.
Here's what he does (I think). Cut the wings to separate the flats from the drumettes. He cooks them on a foil covered cookie sheet that has been liberally sprayed with cooking spray (he also sprays the tops of the wings to protect them from sticking after their mid-baking flip).They cook for 40 minutes (in 15 minute intervals for flipping - well, the last one is only 10 minutes) at 400 degrees. In the meantime, he starts the sauce, which is one stick of real butter, melted slowly on the stove with the 'right' amount of Frank's Red Hot added. As a general rule, the taste of the Red Hot concoction on the stove is always hotter/spicier than what it tastes like in combo with the wings...so when you think it's just right, add more.
Druggy lovingly dunks each flat and drumette into the sauce and places in the bowl, and then pours the remaining sauce over top. I will not describe the grotesque consumption of the half-congealed sauce from the bowl following the very diligent wing consumption. The man can pick those bones cleaner than a buzzard does a carcass.
Then dinner is served.
We don't often have the celery and ranch with the wings (neither of us care for blue cheese all that much) . We serve the dip with just about anything we have in the house - pita chips, tortilla chips, bagel chips (I'm sensing a theme), Triscuits...sometimes all of the above.
Enjoy this adult meal while watching your newly arrived Netflix selection because you're never able to escape the yahoos long enough to eat this dinner in a restaurant and enjoy a movie in a theater. Then you'll be just like us.
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