I promise you this beer bread with spinach dip will rock your world. I first learned about this scrumptious snack at a craft show. Tried a sample and I was impressed. So, I ended up buying the pre-made mix and stopped off to buy a beer on my way home. Seemed odd, since I don’t drink yet I ponied up to the counter with my single beer. Made the box mix the same day. I was hooked! I searched for the perfect recipe to tweak and call my own. Therefore, I used 2 smaller bread pans so I could stash a loaf away for another day. They freeze very well I found out. After the dip ran out, I decided to try it as a grilled breakfast sandwich, and wow, the results were amazing! This 6 ingredient recipe is pretty much everything you already have in your home (except the beer, as in my case.) And it mixes in less than 5 minutes. Longest part was waiting for it to bake. I could hardly wait for a warm slice with butter. I also make my own spinach dip so I will include that recipe in here as well. Makes 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves

Beer Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups flour (sifted)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1(12 ounce) can (COLD) beer or clear soda pop such as Sprite or 7-UP
• 1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4. Pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

NOTES This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. So, if you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top. Above all, sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a “hard biscuit” as some have described. Importantly, that’s because they aren’t sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the “correct” way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product. And always use a COLD beer! The reaction with the baking powder depends on the beer temperature.

Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. Mayo (I prefer Miracle Whip)
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 package Knorr Veg soup mix
• 1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts
• 1 pkg chopped spinach

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix well and frig it for a couple hours.
2. Excellent as a dip with Beer Bread!