Here's How my Potluck Dishes Turned Out

Well a big thank you to everyone who answered my plea and offered potluck dish ideas - they all sounded great, but I could only pick a couple so on Wednesday for the potluck at my house, I ended up picking Mama K's Three Cheese Spaghetti Bake. I was actually only going to pick one recipe, but Small Pines gave a recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip and I've always wanted to make that, so I decided to make that too.  How'd I do?

 

Trust me - they both tasted as good as they look.  There was very little spaghetti bake leftover, which I ate yesterday for lunch (I think it was actually even tastier as a leftover, if that's possible).  Then I proceeded to eat what was left of the artichoke dip last night while watching the "Pam and Jim Wedding" on the Office.  I ran out of bread, so I just ate the rest with a spoon.  I think that says it all! :-)  The only weird thing is that when making recipes I get online, instead of cracking a cookbook I have to have my computer set up on the counter, frighteningly close to my mess so I can see the recipes.  Someone needs to invent some kind of "rackmount splatter resistant kitchen computer", heh.

Anyway, I think it would be hardly fair to show you these mouth-watering pictures and not share the recipes, so here they are, and trust me, if I could successfully make these, so can you! :-) They were both very easy.

Three Cheese Spaghetti Bake

1 16 oz pkg spaghetti
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C grated romano cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1 T olive or veg oil
2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce

Cook spaghetti per package instructions. Drain. Add 1 C mozzarella cheese, parmesan and romano cheese, eggs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Press into a greased 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Spinach Artichoke Dip in a bread bowl

1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts
1 cup fresh chopped spinach
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Chop and/or shred everything, and toss it in a pot on low heat for a half hour (or until you decide it is gooey and delicious), or bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or better yet - toss it in a crockpot on low heat and for a half a day.

Get a big fancy round loaf from the bakery and cut it out like a bowl. Put the dip inside, garnish with a few spinach leaves, and cut the taken-out pieces of bread into cubes. Place it all on a platter with the bread cubes on the sides of the bread bowl. Or you can skip the bread bowl and serve it with tortilla chips.

I am really looking forward to asking for some more recipes in the future to try - this was really fun, and I love using recipes I get from people I know because I know they're going to be good!  Thanks again everyone!

The end.