Creamy Artichoke Dip

Submitted by Amanda on Sat, 03/09/2013 - 23:44

My husband and I occasionally visit a local restaurant that serves the most incredible creamy artichoke dip. Pretty much every time we go there, we have to order it because it is just that good. After a friend made his own delicious creamy artichoke dip, I realized that it was indeed possible to make a delicious batch of the stuff at home! Imagine, no more going to the restaurant just for the appetizer. I can make a large batch at home and eat it whenever I want. Amazing!

We tried out the following recipe and found the results to be acceptable. It has excellent flavor, but the texture is still not right. It is not quite as good as the one from the restaurant. Thus, it needs some adjustments.

However, this recipe will work splendidly for a follow-up recipe: Pesto Eggs Benedict. So, despite it not being "perfect" yet, I will share this with you and continue to tweak it until it reaches desired the consistency. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts
4 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
6-8oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 small garlic cloves, minced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9" x 13" baking pan (or 8" by 8" for a thicker mixture) .

Using a blender stick or food-processor, mix the artichokes, cream cheese, and sour cream until mixture is well-blended. Add the pepper and garlic. Then blend in 3/4 of the parmesan cheese.

Place the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until slightly browned on top.

Serve with seasoned foccacia bread (homemade or store bought). This garlic-infused, creamy dip will certainly please the senses.