This weekend’s Super Bowl game (LII) between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles promises to be good. For the Pats, it’s a familiar feeling. Super Bowl LII will mark the team’s 10th appearance in the game, with 40-year-old Tom Brady as starting quarterback for the 8th time. The Patriots have won more often than lost in the Super Bowl games and they are favored to win this time, too.
The Philadelphia Eagles are playing with the pressure of never having won a Super Bowl. 2018 marks their third appearance in the game and their second time going against the Patriots. The team consistently ranks in the top three for fan attendance to their games and has sold out every game since the 1999 season. Eagles fans have been classified as the most intimidating fans in the NFL according to a Sports Illustrated poll of 320+ NFL players. We personally know a bunch of those enthusiastic fans!
This year’s match-up is of special interest to us. Eric & I both grew up just outside the Philadelphia area, home of the Eagles. Most of Eric’s family members are Eagles fans. HUGE Eagles fans. (My family preferred the Pittsburgh Steelers, since my grandfather was from that area.) Eric & I have spent almost as much time living in New England states as we did growing up in the Philly area, where the New England Patriots were the team we rooted for and followed. Currently, we don’t live in either of those regions, so we’ll be rooting for both teams and will enjoy bragging rights with the winning team.
We will be serving some great food to go along with the event. While we don’t have it all figured out yet (there’s still 2+ days before the big event!) one of the appetizers we’ll be serving is a spinach & artichoke dip featuring Boursin Cheese, one of our favorite spreads. (Just in case you missed it in May of 2016, here’s the recipe to make your own Boursin Cheese spread at home.) We’re looking forward to the game, the commercials, and the half-time show!
Boursin Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Boursin Spinach & Artichoke Dip (adapted from delish.com)
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin cheese spread (or homemade)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt to taste
Directions:
Squeeze the water out of the thawed spinach and chop it well. Squeeze the excess water out of the drained artichokes and chop them well. In a small slow-cooker, combine the spinach, artichokes, Boursin, cheddar & Parmesan cheeses, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season it with salt, then cover and cook it on high heat for 1 hour, stirring it every 15 minutes.
Add all the ingredients to the crock pot.
Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Reduce the heat to low after the first hour.
Serve the dip right from the crock pot or transfer it to serving bowl and serve it with pita chips, crackers or bread.
Serve the dip with crackers.
Enjoy good food, family & friends along with the game, commercials, & show! ~Linda
Boursin Spinach & Artichoke Dip (adapted from delish.com)
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
- 2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin cheese spread (or homemade)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt to taste
Directions:
Squeeze the water out of the thawed spinach and chop it well. Squeeze the excess water out of the drained artichokes and chop them well. In a small slow-cooker, combine the spinach, artichokes, Boursin, cheddar & Parmesan cheeses, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season it with salt, then cover and cook it on high heat for 1 hour, stirring it every 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve the dip right from the crock pot or transfer it to serving bowl and serve it with pita chips or bread.