Labor Day entertaining made simple with Homemade Lavash and this Hot Spinach Avocado Dip featuring fresh California Avocados.
Labor Day weekend is one of my favorite weekends to celebrate yet it’s also bittersweet. I love having a big bash at the end of the summer to bid farewell to the season. Labor Day means we are one step closer to my all time favorite season, fall. I hate that one step closer to fall means one step closer to my least favorite season of winter. I’m just going to block out the fact that winter is closer, and focus on having one heck of a time with our end of summer celebration.
Do you entertain Labor Day weekend? To me, this weekend is all about savoring the last of the summer flavors…California Avocados at their prime, fresh vegetables and fruits, sparkly summer cocktails and grilling outdoors. It’s a great weekend to gather together with friends and family and to kick back and enjoy being together!
When we entertain I like to focus on recipes that are hands off once their made. I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen or behind the grill when I have guests here… I want to be able to focus on the people and let the food handle itself.
Since we are still in the season where California Avocados are their best (peak season is spring – fall) I decided to make up a menu full of great recipes featuring California Avocados. Let’s start with Homemade Lavash with Hot Spinach Avocado Dip (recipe below). This dip is sooooo good and homemade Lavash is my new favorite thing to dip!
For a great salad, how about this Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe? Of course to us, it isn’t a salad without the addition of diced California Avocados!
The sandwiches we went with are just chicken breasts with a Chile Margarita Spiceologist rub (my favorite!), grilled to perfection and topped with pepper jack cheese and fresh California Avocados. Simple and oh so good!
To round off your meal, share some individual bags of chips and make some homemade lemonade!
I hope this menu and recipe for Homemade Lavash and Spinach Avocado Dip has inspired you to get creative with California Avocados this holiday weekend! Have a fun and safe time bidding farewell to summer!
Hot Spinach Avocado Dip
Ingredients
- 1 8oz package package Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Basil finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
- 1 California Avocado peeled, pit removed and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with Pam cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, basil, kosher salt and pepper. Stir in spinach.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and stir in chopped California avocado.
- Serve warm with Lavash or another flatbread or cracker.
Notes
Hot Spinach Avocado Dip
Ingredients
- 1 8oz package package Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Basil finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
- 1 California Avocado peeled, pit removed and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with Pam cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, basil, kosher salt and pepper. Stir in spinach.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and stir in chopped California avocado.
- Serve warm with Lavash or another flatbread or cracker.
Notes
Disclosure: I am honored to be a compensated brand ambassador for California Avocados. Make sure to check out the California Avocado website for more great Labor Day entertaining recipes!
This would be perfect for this weekends festivities.
I’m obsessed with everything in this post. LOVE your outdoor furniture and obsessed with all things avocado, so that dip sounds awesome. Also, an avocado bowl?? BEST ever.
That avocado bowl IS sublime! Kristen, where did you get that?
This is absolutely perfect for Labor Day. In fact, I have been craving spinach artichoke dip so I think this means I have to make it. And I’m a fool for lavash!
You just knocked it out of the park by amping up the most popular dip on earth with the most popular, creamy avocado! You’re kind of a genius, you know? Loving it! Have a great Labor Day!
Avocados and spinach together? Yes, please. And you made lavish bread??? I have such a hard time finding it here, and now I can make it at home? You’re my hero!
Such a great idea to add avocado to spinach artichoke dip!! Avocado makes everything better!
I agree, you can never have enough “hands off” recipes for entertaining. Love that you added one of my favorite foods, avocados, to almost every offering. Your set up looks so inviting, too! What time is the party again?? 😉
Thank you for the link to Spiceologist darlin!!! Chile Marg is one of my faves too!! Thanks for being awesome and I’m booking my flight now to come eat warm lavash and hot dip with you. 🙂
xoxo
Heather
Spinach dip is my favorite and i just love the addition of avocado! It’s like the best thing you can serve to a party. Always a party pleaser and so easy to put together. Less stress for both the host and the guests
I’m ready for fall too! I love it! I mean I actually did like summer this year but it can’t win over fall! I am in love with your set up out there! I wish I was there to share that space and this dip with you!
Oh my goodness I need to make this dip, spinach and avocado sound super-delicious together. What a wonderful spread you put on. You have an avocado paradise over here!
I love the addition of the avocados to the spinach dip! Awesome! But then again I love all things avocado,
Fall is my favorite season too! I’m a sucker for any kind of spinach dip. I love how you added avocado to it. I’m sure that takes it over the top!!
Labor Day is bittersweet for me, too, Kristen. I hate saying goodbye to the long, bright, fun summer days. And I absolutely dread the approach of winter! But a great get-together with friends and fantastic food like this absolutely delicious dip help make saying goodbye easier!
What a stunning menu! That dip looks killer and the fact that you made your own lavash takes it to a whole new level!
Hot spinach avocado dip…what a fantastic idea, Kristen! It’s always hard to say good-bye to summer, but I secretly covet the cooler days of fall. This dip would be perfect for football-watching, too.
These are just so beautiful and delicious. I have a bag of Ca Avocados I just picked up in time to make some dips for the weekend. I could also just eat it with a spoon!
This looks absolutely wonderful! Can’t wait to try it this weekend!
This is pretty much the most beautiful party I’ve seen. Being a Californian, I especially love California avocados. These dishes all look delicious!
We always entertain on Labor Day! I hate to see summer end. I was looking for another appetizer serve and so happy I found this gem. Can’t get enough of the avocado love! Pinned.
Oh my word!! This looks SO GOOD! I have to make that dip to go with my gluten-free crackers! It all looks fantastic!! xo
This looks amazing Kristen! I can’t wait to try this dip out!! 🙂