So it’s 1986.
I’m 10 years old, and my sister Barbara is 6. We’d just moved to the sweaty armpit of the UNIVERSE, Hobbs, New Mexico and were getting settled into our new lifestyle which involved tumbleweeds, fake red cowboy boots from the Walmart and a crimp iron.
Not known to be shy, (WEIRD!) Bar and I quickly made friends with the neighborhood kids and had our bff bonds promptly sealed within the week.
Barbara cozied in with this sweet, hyper blonde girl named Kelli Campbell. She lived just down the street, had the raddest bling on her hot pink Barbie bike, and her family HAD A POOL.
But that’s not what sold us on this whole “Campbell Situation.” It was cheese dip.
Cheese dip. CHEESE DIP. Ugh. It was the best cheese dip I’ve ever tasted in my entire freaking life and will ever taste again in my entire freaking life. And it was so simple! Garlic cheese tubes, cream of mushroom soup and diced green chiles.That’s it. That’s all.
I miss the 80s.
But guess WHAT. You can’t even BUY the garlic cheese tubes anymore, which is the lamest piece of wonk ever. This is why things were so much better back then.
Obviously, I had to take control of my life and make my own version of the Kelli Campbell cheese dip before I had 50 thousand conniptions. That’s what we call it. Kelli Campbell cheese dip. Even though I’M GUESSING her mom made it. We’ll never really know.
I miss my crimp iron.
While this cheese dip isn’t EXACTLY the same as Kelli Campbell’s, it’s pretty. darn. diddly. dang. pimp. you. guys.
And I mean it, SO HARD.
I miss New Kids On the Block.
White Spinach Cheese Dip:
What it took for like a LOT:
* 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 a white onion, finely diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 4 cups baby spinach
* 1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
* 2 (8 oz) blocks Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Heat the oil over medium-high in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and toss to wilt, 2 minutes. Add the cream of mushroom soup and chiles. Stir to combine.
Add in the shredded cheese and omg, get it all melty. If it’s too thick just stir in a little milk to thin it out. I probably should have but was already ruining my new shirt with saliva, so I had to skip that part.
Transfer to a crock pot until ready to eat. Yeah, good luck with that.
And PS: You know you’re dying to.
(via Mom Spark)
Wonk. Har har har! I’m killing myself laughing right now over coffee and it’s still dark out and I’m sick and I slept like poop last night. So thank you for brightening my day! What would make it even better was if I had this awesome hawt cheesy spinach dip in front of me right now.
I’m joining #febphotoaday too….yay!!
I just did my first #febphotoaday and I’m kinda wishing it involved my face in that dip.
Oh the 80′s…aquanet hairspray and leg warmers. Good times! I don’t know what that February photo thingie is, but it’s hurting my head. Must find caffeine…
wow, i want to dive into that cheese and be buried by it. okay, not really, but i would bathe in it. that look so freaking delicious. i’m doing the photo challenge! yay
I loved my crimp iron and how could you not love NKOTB, lol! I was sporting my NKOTB t-shirt with my crimped hair thinking I was cool, so not. Loving this cheesy goodness White Spinach Cheese Dip, yum!
Yum, Bev! Happy to see another blue-chip girl
I love this story of you & your punk little sister taking over the neighborhood. I have to say, your sister knew what she was doing when she made friends with a girl in New Mexico who had a POOOOL. Go Bar!
This looks totally delicious. I could soak in a hot tub full of it.
Nostalgia. I miss my skip it. #90′skid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITmBUIB5x1k
The very best thing of alllll, is there’s a counter on the balllll.
Is it Friday yet?
Love that you served these with blue corn chips.
Love the story
. Your dip looks incredible! I would eat this every day.
I love anything that comes out of a mini crock pot on game day, especially if it’s pretty much health food because it has spinach. And I heard crimps are back in. Just FYI.
I just want to bathe in that cheese dip. Or maybe carry it around with me everywhere I go and tell cheese dip that its pretty and I don’t care what its doing to my hips.
oh my god.
Yuussss! Love this!
I miss New Kids on the Block too…or rather NKOTB.
And cheese dip in a crock pot needs to make a comeback, I think you’re on to something.
You are SO funny. I was laughing outloud. Sweaty armpit, haha.
This dip looks so warm and cozy. i want to eat it, right now!
Gimme!! I just posted at the end of my 25 recipe roundup post today about 1 recipe in particular: spinach dip! I love it to the point that I’d eat it til I was sick. And I’d love to try yours with white cheese. Omg.
And the photos, especially lovely today! I want that wood!
I miss my crimper toooooooo. Thank god I have this freaking amazing cheese dip to help me mourn my loss.
I could drink this stuff. deeeeelicious!
Oh my mercy! Got to make this now if not sooner!
O.M.G! I can bathe in this!!
Looks amazing!! Want it , want it want it.
NKOTB forever!! I grew up in New Mexico, so obviously I’m totally drawn to anything with green chiles. Totally want to make this. Right now!
Oh boy, I’d LOVE to see how you work a crimp iron! If it’s anything like how you work a cheese dip, you’d rock it!!
I mean really, how can you go wrong with Cream of Mushroom soup. Thank god for Kelli Campbell’s mama.
I don’t even like spinach but I’m thinking of all they ways I can cover myself in this stuff. And I love how easy the recipe is!
I don’t know what garlic cheese tubes are but I know how cheese, spinach and garlic combo tastes and this dip is a must on my list to make!
Kelly Campbell cheese dip. That would be a good band name, too.
Yum! I have a favorite artichoke dip, and onion dip, but not spinach dip. I’ll have to try this one out.
LOVE the story about your sister and you in Hobbs!
The hubs actually just got back from there a couple of weeks ago! Sadly, he did not bring me back any awesome cheese dip. Rude.
Hibbs can’t have possibly been worse than Reserve. I’m so making this dip!