Baked Spinach, Artichoke, and Mozzarella Dip

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, very well softened (lite okay)
2 cups mayonnaise (lite okay)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (or fontina or a favorite easy-melting cheese)
1 1/2 cups artichokes, roughly chopped  (I used 6 ounces frozen artichoke hearts from TJs, chopped; oil-packed artichokes in a jar may be substituted)
1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch salt, optional and to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish (or 1o-inch, or similar-sized oven-safe baking dish) with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, mayo, and stir to combine. The softer the cream cheese is, the easier this is.
3. Add 1 cup cheese (reserving remainder to be sprinkled on top), and all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Turn mixture out into prepared dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
5. Evenly sprinkle reserved 2 cups cheese over the top.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until top is golden browned, bubbly, and dip is done to your liking. Allow dip to cool momentarily before serving. Dip is excellent warm and fresh, but extra will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and can be reheated gently in the micro or used as a cold dip. Read product labels to ensure all products are gluten-free if that's a consideration for you.