Spinach-Artichoke Dip

The Pioneer Woman is a genius. Absolute genius.  She has discovered the secret to a happy appetite: quit counting calories and just eat what's delicious.

It's true. This Spinach-Artichoke Dip is to die for (Pioneer Woman lovingly titles it "The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip Ever" and it deserves every word of that title)! I served this at a baby shower this weekend and it was definitely the star of the buffet table.  It's delicious on chips, french bread, baguettes, pita bread, a spoon, your finger... So good.

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 oz) bag of Spinach
2 can artichoke hearts, drained
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. feta cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 c. pepper jack cheese, grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Directions:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Increase the heat to medium-high and add the spinach.  Cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts.  Remove the spinach from the skillet and put in a small strainer.  Squeeze the excess juice back into the skillet and set spinach aside.

2. Add the artichokes to the now-empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, until liquid is cooked off. Remove from the pan and chop up with the spinach.

3. In the same skillet, melt the remaining tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour until it makes a paste.  Cook over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the milk.  Stir and cook until slightly thickened.

4. Add remaining ingredients and stir until the cheeses are all melty and the sauce is smooth.  Add in the chopped artichokes and spinach and stir to combine.

5. Pour the dip into a shallow baking dish. Top with additional grated pepper jack and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.