Name: Bacon Spinach Beer Cheese Dip in a Beer Bread Bowl
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups bread flour; 1 cup white whole wheat flour; 1 Tablespoon sugar or honey; 1 Tablespoon yeast; 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/4 cups Lucky Bucket Certified Evil beer (or other dark beer); Freshly ground black pepper (as much as you like); 3 – 5 strips of lower-fat bacon; ¾ cup chopped sweet onion; 5 ounces light cream cheese; 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped; ¼ cup Lucky Bucket Certified Evil beer; ½ cup nonfat greek yogurt; 1 teaspoon wortcestershire sauce; ½ teaspoon dry mustard; ½ – ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (add more or less to taste)

Ingredients

Scale

For the bread bowl:

2 cups bread flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups Lucky Bucket Certified Evil beer (or other dark beer)
Freshly ground black pepper (as much as you like)

For the dip:

3 – 5 strips of lower-fat bacon
¾ cup chopped sweet onion
5 ounces light cream cheese
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
¼ cup Lucky Bucket Certified Evil beer
½ cup nonfat greek yogurt
1 teaspoon wortcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ – ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (add more or less to taste)

Instructions

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Put the ingredients for the bread into your bread machine and set it on the dough setting. When the dough is ready, divide it in two and shape into two balls. Set the balls on the baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until the bread balls look nice and puffy.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for about 40 minutes or until the breads are nicely browned and sound hollow when you thump on one of them.
While the bread is baking, make the dip. In a saucepan, fry the bacon strips until crispy, then set aside the bacon and let it cool.
Drain off the excess fat from the pan, then sautee the onions over medium heat until soft.
Reduce the heat to medium low, mix in the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted, the cream cheese is mixed in thoroughly and the cheddar is melted.
Chop the bacon into bits, reserving a bit for garnish and stir it into the cheesy dip.
When your bread bowl is done, let it cool for at least 15 minutes, then cut off the top fourth of one of the breads and scoop out the insides to make a bowl. Set the bread bowl onto a serving plate, cut the scooped bread and the chopped off top into cubes, toast the bread cubes (if you want) and set them on the side of the bowl.
Warm the dip if it has cooled off and pour it into the bowl. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and chives if desired and serve immediately while it’s still warm. If you need more bread cubes for dipping, cut thick slices off the other loaf and cut into cubes.

Notes

Inspired by Taste of Home

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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