Cheesy Artichoke Dip

As soon as the first football game hits our TV screen, I start thinking about making this dip. There’s just something about artichoke dip that makes it the perfect football food. So I caved and this past weekend I popped this baby in our oven while the 49ers did their thing.

Of course, I had to get some photos of the warm, lucsiousness as soon as it came out of the oven so I could share it with all of you. Boy #1 was hovering and I’m just gonna say it, he was a bit impatient. You’d think a man his age could wait a minute for his cheesy dip.

He snapped this shot of me taking my photos in my extremely novice and unprofessional manner and posted it to Instagram. Justice.

Oh yeah? Well, two can play at that game. Here he is meeting and greeting the newest member of our family. If you follow me on Facebook, I’m sure you are aware of this sweet little thing. She evokes this reaction in nearly everyone who meets her.

Back to the dip.

I’ve been making this dip since the stone age and thought it was time it made an appearance here on the blog. There may be nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary about artichoke dip but I’ve noticed from looking at oodles and oodles of other recipes for this creamy wonder, that my recipe differs from most. Cream cheese adds body and texture, but you gotta have a little mayo in there too. There is so much richness in this dish that I always use reduced fat cream cheese and light mayo but I understand many feel these items should be banned from the Earth, so use what you like. I also add some mozzarella cheese to make it ooey, gooey and wonderful. For a touch of heat and tanginess, I add some diced, jarred jalapeno slices. And, the super secret tip of the day…a little bit of the juice from the jarred jalapenos.

Mezzetta makes both a “Tamed” and “Hot” variety of jarred jalapeno slices. I love these so much I almost always have both on hand and will sometimes use a combination of the two. The dip definitely benefits from a little heat and I wouldn’t hesitate to use only the Hot variety.

This is what makes this recipe really pop. Add a couple of teaspoons of the liquid from the jarred jalapenos.

I use my old all-purpose standby, Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, and a little garlic powder to season it.

Transfer the goodness to a small baking dish and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until it’s bubbly and golden around the edges.

And, in the end, he got his dip.

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 to 10 servings

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces reduced fat Neufchatel cream cheese
• 3/4 cup light or regular mayonnaise I use light
• 1/2 cup heaping shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
• 1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
• 10 to 15 jarred jalapeno slices diced
• 2 teaspoons liquid from jarred jalapeno slices
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
• 1 French baguette sliced (for serving)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, stirring until well combined. Transfer to a small baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes till bubbly and browned around edges.
• Serve with sliced baguette.

Notes

Can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated. When ready to bake, remove from fridge and allow to sit on kitchen counter for about 20 minutes or so to take the chill off. Bake as directed, increasing the baking time by about 15 minutes or as needed.

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