Artichoke Dip Made Simple

I wanted a tasty appetizer that was quick and easy to make. To me that means using a few ingredients that work together to create a flavorful dish.
I took a leap and made my own rendition of artichoke dip to serve as an appetizer before our last cooking class. I must admit I had my reasons for deciding on artichoke dip. I over ordered the artichokes for one of my classes so what better way to use the extras?

We served the dip with toasted French bread rounds. Slice the bread about 1/4 inch thick and use a pastry brush to brush the top of the bread with extra virgin olive oil. Toast until golden.

Just for the record, there are so many differnt recipes out there for artichoke dip. To keep it even more simple for you I added ways to make this dip your own and several helpful tips.
ENJOY!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheese into an oven safe dish or pan. Stir with fork until combined. Sprinkle top with nutmeg and place into oven and cook until bubbly and cheese has completely melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with paprika.

Tips:

  • 1/3 less fat cream cheese can be substituted for regular cream cheese
  • Use a good brand artichoke hearts or frozen can also be used
  • I recommend a cast iron skillet for cooking dip. It cooks up with a nice crust around the edges.
  • Be sure to sprinkle dip with paprika as soon as you remove it from the oven. That will heat the paprika, enhancing the flavor.

    Make it your own:

  • Add ½ small onion, finely minced
  • Add 1 onion, sliced and caramelized
  • Add 1 heaping tablespoon roasted red pepper, chopped
  • Omit the nutmeg and paprika and add 1 teaspoon any fresh herbs of your choice. I personally think minced thyme would be good. If you use dried herbs use only 1/3 teaspoon. An Italian blend of dry herbs would be fabulous.
  • Like it hot, add a little cayenne pepper, hot sauce or serrano pepper to taste