Baked Spinach Dip Loaf

I am a huge fan of picnics. I am not, however, a fan of rain when said picnic is meant to happen. Not even a little bit. Especially when I've already made my share of picnic food. Luckily for us, the lovely Sian came to the rescue and offered up her home for some good ol' fashioned picnic food and a Disney movie.

Baked Spinach Dip Loaf

One of my favourite picnic foods as a child was when my mother would completely hollow out a loaf of sourdough, stuff it with a spinach dip, bake it and let us dip its ripped out insides in the gooey goodness. There is something about ripping the outside of something, mixing it with its insides that really made it fun. It also helped that it was DELICIOUS!

Sourdough loaf, frozen spinach portions, bacon, cream cheese, salt and pepper. There is also cheese that is hiding.

On another note. Guess what I found!

A big, long knife.

I have often wondered why we have such a big knife in the house and today I found out. It is perfect for cutting the tops of sourdough! Not very good for hollowing it out though..

Step 3: Cut off the top and hollow out your sourdough

Mix all your ingredients (except the bread)

Once I grew up, everyone became too busy for picnics and this lovely dish was nothing but a fond, distant memory. That is until my friend, Asia, brought it back to life one drunken night and, I have to say, WOW. Not only is was it an instant hit with everyone at the party but it was so quick and easy to make!

Step 2: Add everything else

Fill its insides!!

It's also very satisfying to make. If you're ever feeling angry (perhaps you're attending a picnic full of people you don't like?), go down to your local bakery and get yourself a nice round loaf of sourdough and hollow the hell out of it!

Baked Spinach Dip Loaf (Serves those at a picnic or lunch)

Ingredients: 

1 unsliced round loaf sourdough bread

250g pottle of cream cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

4 portions of frozen spinach

5 rashers of bacon, roughly chopped

1 cup cheese, grated
1 packet of powdered onion soup

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise. 

2. Cook spinach according to packet instructions and chop. Stir it in along with the cheese, bacon, soup and seasonings.

3. Cut about 3cm off the top and set aside.

4. Carefully hollow out the bottom and leave a 1cm thick shell.

5. Cube the removed bread and set aside.

6. Fill the shell with spinach dip then replace with the top. 

7. Wrap in tin foil and bake at 200°C for 1hr 15min

8. Once time is up, peel back the foil to expose the bread and place the removed bread on the tray and bake everything for a further 15 minutes or until golden.

9. Eat with friends.