Hot Artichoke Dip - Two Ways

Let's shake things up a bit. How about a homemade appetizer dip for the weekend?

A game day worthy dip.

A pajama party worthy dip.

A Netflix binge night worthy dip.

Whatever it is you may be celebrating, indulging in, rooting for... this super tasty hot and bubbly dip is a true winner. And an extra gold star sparkle pony winner for vegans and vegetarians. Because it's non-dairy. (Shhhh. Don't tell.) And easy to make.

If you enjoy dairy- don't worry- the recipe has those choices as well. It goes both ways. And either way, you'll love it. The crunchy toasted almond topping complements the warm and gooey creaminess beneath in the most simpatico way.

Serve it with crackers, sturdy tortilla chips, gluten-free toast, vegetable crudities... you name it.

Have a safe and delicious weekend!

Cheers,

Karina xo

Karina's Hot Artichoke Dip Recipe

Recipe posted December 2010.

This is the easiest party dip ever. Not to mention, hot, creamy and fabulous. Celebrations need not be complicated. Not when delicious is as simple as uno, dos, tres. I used a bag of Trader Joe's frozen artichoke hearts, as I didn't want the oiliness of jarred artichoke hearts. And as for the buttered almond topping, if you need to avoid nuts, you can substitute the almonds for your favorite buttered GF breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

12-oz bag thawed frozen artichoke hearts
1 peeled garlic clove
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
1/2 cup soft cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream or Vegenaise® to keep it dairy-free
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, or vegan "Parmesan"
1 tablespoon white wine or fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of ground pepper

For topping:

1 tablespoon butter or vegan Earth Balance
3 tablespoons of sliced almonds (or gluten-free breadcrumbs if avoiding nuts)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Dump the thawed artichoke hearts and the peeled garlic clove into the bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off to chop rather fine. Scoop the chopped artichokes and garlic into a mixing bowl.

Add in the finely diced onion (I don't bother to dice this small amount of onion in the processor). Add the soft cream cheese, sour cream (or Vegenaise), grated Parmesan (or vegan "Parm"), white wine or lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Mix together to blend well.

Spoon into a smallish baking dish or crock. Set aside.

Make your topping. Melt the butter (or Earth Balance) in a small skillet and add the sliced almonds. Stir briefly to coat.

Add the buttered almonds to the top of the artichoke dip.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for about 20 minutes, till bubbly around the edges and heated through.

Serve with Gluten-Free Crackers or thin toasted slices of these Gluten-Free Baguettes.

Makes roughly 2 cups of dip.

Recipe Notes:

Use buttered breadcrumbs as a toasty topping, if you prefer- though I must tell you, the sliced almonds accent the creamy dip with a lovely crunch.

I'm using this dip tonight as a pasta sauce - because I have extra. I'm going to toss hot cooked gluten-free penne in the warmed dip with almonds. How bad will that be?

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddessrecipes.com

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