Spinach and Artichoke Dressing

Have you ever experienced that sense of overwhelming peaceful calm that envelopes you when you're facing a particularly stressful or turbulent situation?  Me neither.🤪 Here we are, 4 days before Thanksgiving, and I'm still waiting for that serene tranquility to kick in.  This week, I'm feeling the exact opposite of calm as we enter the chaos of the holiday season. 

I'm over here running around like a chicken with it's head but off.  (Sorry for that visual.😅)  I feel like I've been making multiple trips, to multiple grocery stores, to gather up all of the supplies that I need for my busy week of baking.  And I apologize in advance if the frazzled me accidentally happens to bump into you, quite literally, while running through the aisles of the grocery store this week. 😜  I know that I'm too stressed out by the fact that I need a list to remember the 2 things that I need to pick up at the grocery store. 🤷🏻‍♀️  

Despite the busyness that they bring - these food driven holidays are my jam.  I'm in my element when there are menus to be planned, food to be prepared and guests to be hosted.  So many lists and schedules - it's makes my borderline obsessively organized heart, very, very happy. 😆  

My time this week is being split between catering orders and Thanksgiving prep.  I have a refrigerator covered in to-do lists and that's all it takes for me to feel like I've got this whole Thanksgiving cooking thing, under control. 🙃  Prepping food and crossing each thing off of my list as I go, is the name of the game this week.  

This year, I made 2 different kinds of dressing to accompany our grilled turkey.  I made a cornbread and sausage dressing and a spinach and artichoke dressing.  Both recipes are new for me and I'm curious to see which one my guests will prefer.  For those that are spinach dip lovers - this Spinach and Artichoke Dressing will be right up their alley.  It's all of the cheesy, creamy, spinachy goodness of the popular dip - without the chips.

Spinach and Artichoke Dressing
1 large loaf French bread
2 cups frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 cups mozzarella
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly chopped sage
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed

Cut bread into cubes and leave out overnight to dry. 

Combine bread, spinach, artichoke hearts, and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.

Melt butter in skillet.  Add onion and celery and cook 3 to 4 minutes.

Add garlic and herbs and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth and cream cheese and bring to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Pour bread mixture into prepared baking dish.

Pour over cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

You'll notice in the pictures that I divided my spinach and artichoke dressing between 2 dishes.  Since I am serving 2 different dressings this year, I didn't need 2 full dishes of each so... I divided this recipe in half.  I'll serve 1 dish for Thanksgiving and I froze the other to pull out at Christmas when my Spinach Dip loving daughter-in-law is in town.  😉
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Ciao!

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