Simple Artichoke Dip

Ah.  Classic artichoke dip.  How I love thee…

There are some things in this world that you just need to know how to make.  Bread, poached eggs, really good chocolate chip cookies, and if I may be so bold as to add to the list-artichoke dip.  Its classic.  Its simple.  Its familiar to all.  It also happens to be cheesy and creamy and wonderful; all good things when it comes to food.

This version is nothing special and it has no fancy frills.  It is just straight up, good ‘ole artichoke dip.  It comes together in a matter of minutes and can be doubled very easily.  Such an easy appetizer or snack is a must-have recipe for game season, holiday party season, or just a saturday.  If you still aren’t convinced, I will leave you with this short, true, artichoke dip story:  This dip is so good, I once ate it off an oven door.  My pot holders slipped when I took it out of the oven and it flipped upside down on the open oven door.  It didn’t break the glass dish, but the smell of scorched dip fill the house pretty quick.  I kind of stared at it for awhile with my guests looking over my shoulder, and we unanimously decided to risk it.  I grabbed a big spatula from the counter and scraped the whole gloppy, cheesy, bubbly mass back into the dish.  Totally.  Worth it.
Simple Artichoke Dip
This recipe makes a small batch of dip.  Its perfect for 4 or 5 people.  Any more than that and you will want to double it.  If you like things with a kick, add a few dashes of hot sauce to this when you mix it up!

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/3 c mayo
1/3 c sour cream (I use light)
1/4 c grated or shredded parmesan cheese + 1 T
1 c shredded mozzarella
1 clove finely minced garlic
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients (minus extra T of parmesan) in a small bowl and spread into a small sprayed glass dish.  An 8X8 or 9X9 would be fine, or even a deep glass pie plate like the one pictured above it good.  Spread evenly, sprinkle with reserved tablespoon of parmesan, and bake for 20 minutes, or until evenly browned and bubbly.  Serve with crackers, chips, toasty bread or these awesome garlic toasts!