Make Ahead
Easy Spinach Dip Wreath
Prep Time: 25 Minutes Start to Finish: 4 Hours 25 Minutes 12 servings
- 1 round uncut loaf (16 oz) Hawaiian or sourdough bread
- Spinach Dip
- 1 box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 package (1.8 oz) vegetable soup and dip mix
- 1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained, chopped
- 1 medium green onion, chopped (1 tablespoon)
- Garnishes
- Rosemary sprigs, if desired
- Red bell pepper pieces, if desired
1 Cut and hollow out 3-inch-wide ring on top of bread loaf to within ½ inch of bottom, leaving center of loaf intact. Reserve scooped-out bread.
2 Squeeze thawed spinach to drain; spread on paper towels and pat dry. In large bowl, stir spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, soup mix (dry), water chestnuts and onion until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and soften soup mix.
3 Spoon about 1½ cups of the spinach dip into hollowed-out ring. (Cover and refrigerate remaining spinach dip for another use.) Arrange rosemary and bell pepper pieces on dip to look like sprigs of holly.
4 Tear remaining bread into bite-size pieces. Use torn bread and reserved scooped-out bread for dipping.
1 Serving: Calories 180; Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 240mg; Total Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 4g Exchanges: 1½ Starch, 1½ Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1½
Make-Ahead Magic Make it easy by prepping this festive appetizer the night before. Make the spinach dip (or purchase already made dip from the refrigerated section of the produce department) and cut the bread. When ready to serve, simply spoon the dip into the bread ring and arrange the garnishes and dippers.
Festive Touch Stir about 1 cup dried cranberries into the spinach dip for a jolly touch of sweetness and color. You can also decorate the “wreath” or serving platter with yellow or red cherry or grape tomatoes.
Kitchen Secrets You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste! Just substitute another flavor of dip for the spinach dip, and serve with cut-up veggies along with the bread pieces.