Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Dip

 (from Southern Living)

 Yield: about 6 cups

It's been another football weekend!  Tar Heels, Clemson Tigers, and Carolina Panthers to name a few of our favorite teams who played this weekend.  A great game day appetizer is Sausage Bean Spinach dip served with veggies and chips.  I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine a few years ago and it's been a favorite ever since.  It makes enough to feed a crowd and could be easily doubled for more servings.  You can make it your way by using regular or maple flavored sausage or Italian sausage.  Black beans would be a great substitute for the pinto beans too.  I have made it with hot sausage every time and it turns out perfectly; not too hot!  Of course, if you want it really spicy,  then add a splash of Tabasco sauce and top it with hot peppers. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 (1-lb) package hot ground pork sausage

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (can use dried)

½ cup dry white wine

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened (I used lower fat)

1 (6-oz) package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

·         Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

·         Add olive oil to large skillet and cook diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and sausage over medium-high heat, stirring often until sausage crumbles and is browned.  Drain if necessary.

·         Stir in garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute.

·         Stir in wine and cook about 2 minutes or until liquid has almost completely evaporated.

·         Add cream cheese, and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes until cream cheese is melted and incorporated into the sausage mixture.

·         Stir in spinach, salt, and black pepper, and cook, stirring constantly about 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

·         Gently stir in beans.

·         Pour mixture into a 2-quart baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

·         Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.                                                                                    

Serve warm with corn chip scoops, bell pepper strips, celery sticks, and/or pretzel rods.