Oh my gosh, this artichoke dip is so good! I know that everyone and their mom is making artichoke dip nowadays, but one bite of this and you’ll agree it’s something special. Even my mom, who doesn’t like the two main ingredients—cheese and artichokes—likes it. It’s actually a recipe I got from my cousin, with a couple of tweaks. She makes it for any get-together she has at her place and it’s always a hit.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 4 cups

　　1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts

　　1 clove garlic

　　1 cup frozen chopped spinach

　　1 cup mayonnaise

　　1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

　　1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

　　1 tablespoon minced onion

　　Crackers or pita chips

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Drain the artichoke hearts and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic, or pass it through a garlic press.

　　

Step 3

Place the artichokes, garlic, spinach, mayonnaise, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and the onion in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Spoon into an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it just begins to bubble on the edges. Serve warm with crackers or pita chips on the side.

　　

cooking 101

Step 4

Although artichokes are awesome in dips with all kinds of cheesy goodness, they are also great served steamed with butter. To steam whole artichokes, lop off the top of the artichoke with a sharp knife, and snip sharp points off the outer leaves (these are actually petals, because the artichoke is a flower). Place them in a large pan with about an inch of water. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes over medium-high heat, or until the base of the artichoke is softer and the leaves can be pulled out fairly easily. Drain the water and serve with a dish of melted butter, pulling off and discarding the tough outer leaves, then dipping the bases of the more tender inner leaves into the melted butter and nibbling.

　　College Vegetarian Cooking