Tomato Artichoke Dip

I absolutely love heated dips.

For starters, they’re amazing as heated dips (oh noes! I spoke the obvious. I’m like classic Styx lyrics. I can explain another time).

On top of that, if you expand your thinking further, heated dips also make great spreads for flax crackers, amazing additions to heated vegetable dishes/sides, and even performs as a terrific filling for pounded out chicken breasts.

Really, if you think about it, there’s nothing these warm bits of loving from the oven can’t do.

In fact, this tomato artichoke dip immediately becomes as relevant and as talented as Johnny Depp. And while you you can’t lick Johnny Depp legally,  you can enjoy Johnny Dipp. People won’t even look at you funny when you’re eating Johnny Dipp; not unless you’re also talking to your food in a sexy French accent and doing that cute thing where you curl your hair around your finger when hotness is afoot and you’re flirting with it. Please don’t do that. Not unless I’m there with the video camera, anyway. (Youuuutuuuuube)

Thinkful thoughts and recipe ruminations:

• You can add Greek yogurt into the mix for zip in your dip by subbing in for up to half of the mayonnaise. If you’re not a fan of Greek yogurt, you could also sub with sour cream.
• Want less fat? Use a lower fat mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream, but be aware that when manufacturers pull out the fat, they tend to sub in sugar for flavor.
• I didn’t cook the garlic prior to using it in this dip and it was perfect. You could, however, elect to cook on the stove in butter until tender.
• I processed all of the veg in small batches in my Ninja prior to adding them together. This meant less of a mess on the cutting board and helped incorporate the ingredients beautifully.
• For added color, you could pop in some chopped green onions or fresh basil.
• Want to make this dish go further? Thin the baked product with heated, heavy cream for a delicious sauce for chicken, pasta or side dishes. I served my dip, thinned down, over dinner last night and it was a phenomenal impromptu alfredo sauce.
• My dip is pictured below in a ramekin, but it’s more easily baked in a larger casserole dish, since you should expect at least 5 cups of dip from this recipe (and you don’t want to eat an entire ramekin in a sitting).
• This dip is induction friendly, gluten free, sugar free, vegetarian friendly and only 3.2 net carbs per ample 1/4 cup serving.

Tomato Artichoke Dip

2-14 ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained, minced
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients and place in an oven safe dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Refrigerate remaining.

Makes 5 cups dip, or  20, 1/4 cup servings.

 Nutritional information per 1/4 cup serving:: Calories: , Carbohydrates: , Fiber: 1.5g, Net Carbohydrates: 3.2g, Protein: 4.3g, Fat: 15.9g.