Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I love spinach artichoke dip and I love grilled cheese sandwiches.  So this recipe instantly got me salivating and ready to go.  It’s a great quick lunch or dinner and is pretty healthy especially if you use low fat cheese and yogurt in place of the sour cream.  It’s also really, really good.  REALLY good.  The key is getting the bread golden brown and crispy while allowing the cheese time to melt so that the inside is a creamy, gooey melty mix.  Could it be any easier to put together a crowd pleasing dinner?  After making this last minute for a couple friends and getting really good feedback, I think the answer is no.  Make this (frequently!) and enjoy.

Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (adapted from A Couple Cooks)

Makes 2 sandwiches (scale up according to how many you need)
Fresh spinach – enough for about 3 cups chopped
Canned artichoke hearts – about 3 (around 6 ounces)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used mozarella, use any blend you like)
4 pieces bread (I used a white crusty bread, I think sourdough would work great)
Kosher salt
Butter or more olive oil

1  Dice the 2 cloves garlic. Chop the artichokes. Wash and stem the
spinach, then chop it coarsely.

2  Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and
saute for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach and a pinch of kosher salt,
and saute for a few minutes until just limp. Add the artichokes and
red pepper flakes (if you want a tiny bit of spiciness) and saute for
another minute or so, until heated through. Drain off any liquid from
the pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream and another pinch of kosher salt.

4  Spread butter (or olive oil) on one side of each of the 4 bread
pieces. Heat a griddle pan to medium high heat. Place 2 pieces of
bread on the griddle, buttered side down. On each piece, spread some
shredded cheese, the spinach artichoke filling, some more cheese (1/2
cup cheese per sandwich), and the other piece of bread. When the
bottom bread is browned, flip the sandwich and cook until the bread is
toasted and the cheese is melted.  Or, if you have a panini maker,
just assemble the sandwiches, butter or oil the maker on both sides
and toast the sandwiches in the maker until golden brown and cheese
looks enticingly melty.

Fall Pumpkin Recipes

There are some great recipes coming up this week, but before I get posting, I wanted to do another fall recipe roundup.  As Halloween looms closer and closer, pumpkins are taking over the food blogosphere.  For me, this is a very good thing because pumpkins are one of my favorite flavors for cooking and baking.  Their mild and creamy flavor makes them the perfect pairing to tangy cream cheese frosting, cinnamon and spices, and as the hearty backdrop of many savory dishes.  The appearance of pumpkin on menus once again serves to cement autumn’s presence in our lives, and I look forward to the slow but gradual advancement of winter-below you’ll find some recipes I am excited to try, and you should be too!

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing Brown Eyed Baker

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins Brown Eyed Baker

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe Girl (Great way to use up extra pumpkin puree!)

Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings Smitten Kitchen

Simple Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifles My Baking Addiction

Pumpkin Pie Bars Annie’s Eats

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Smitten Kitchen

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (I love flavored pancakes!) Joy the Baker

Pumpkin Risotto The New York Times

Pumpkin Soup The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Now go buy some pumpkins! (Or canned pumpkin puree, as I tend to)