Asiago cheese, artichokes, and diced green chiles combine in a hot and bubbly dip that is sure to bring comfort.
I’ve been a pregnant lady many times over. I’ve got six kids to prove it. And the stretch marks.
During pregnancy I was always very careful to eat well. I read that What to Eat When You’re Expecting (copyright 1986) book many, many times over. Unfortunately, most of the research in it was outdated by the time my last baby started to grow in 2007. For that matter, since my mom consulted that book when she was pregnant with my younger brother, it was probably outdated by the time my first baby started to grow in 1996.
It seems like they are always changing the rules on us!
When your child bearing years span a full decade, that can happen to you more than once. No soft cheese? No deli meat? No tuna? These were not the rules of play sixteen years ago. I don’t even know what the rules are anymore.
Somewhere in all that time, I latched onto the idea that artichokes, avocados, and asparagus were particularly good to eat when you’re pregnant. Since I think they’re particularly good to eat when you’re not pregnant, I had no problem justifying the thought. And it gave rise to the assumption that this Artichoke Chile Dip, adapted from a fundraising cookbook I worked on years ago, was perfect for pregnancy. (Thank you, Donna Jolley, for sharing it with the rest of us.)
This dip is one that I would eat by the bowlful during my pregnancies. Forget the load of mayonnaise and cheese. It had artichokes, therefore it was good for me.
A nutrionist today might disagree with that point, but I will say this. This artichoke dip was the ultimate comfort food for me when nothing else sounded appealing. Hot and cheesy, spread on toast or just plain shepherd’s bread, it filled me up and brought me joy.
It still does.
Whether you’re expecting a little bundle of joy or just want to hunker down with some tasty comfort food, this dip is it.
Typically made with parmesan cheese, I use Asiago since it is a more economical hard Italian cheese. Add the full can of chopped green chiles if you like it to be spicier. It’s a nice addition. Serve with toast as I’ve outlined in the recipe or with chunks of Shepherder Bread.
Recipe: Artichoke Chile Dip
Ingredients
- 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 2 ounces diced green chiles
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- sourdough baguette, sliced
- olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °. Grease a 3-cup baking dish.
- Chop artichoke hearts coarsely.
- In a medium bowl combine artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, Asiago, green chiles, and garlic. Mix gently. Spoon into prepared dish.
- Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet.
- Bake dip and bread slices for 20 to 30 minutes until the dip is bubbly and the bread is crisp. Serve immediately.
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
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Do you chop the Artichoke hearts and add it in the same time as rest of ingredients? I don’t see where you add it in to dip before baking. thanks.
@ray, it’s fixed now. Sorry about that!
There are at least 2 sizes of artichoke jars sold in my grocery. Do you have an approximate size of jar to use? Also, as Ray asks, I presume they are mixed in with everything else.
@Sandi, the smaller one should be fine. The recipe is corrected now. Sorry about that.
this sounds so intriguing! i love any kind of artichoke dip and think the chile addition sounds fantastic!
I love, love, love artichoke dip. This looks so good. About the foods to eat during pregnancy, my mom had a huge avocado craving while she was pregnant with me and ate 1-2 avocados a day the whole time she was pregnant. Avocados are now one of my favorite foods. Related? Maybe!
A) Does the marinated kind really taste that much different than the ones jarred in water?
B) Any estimate of the jar size? I get mine from Costco, and I’m quite sure a whole jar of that would create disastrous proportions.
Marinated: it’s a personal preference. Either is fine in my book.
Bulk artichoke hearts: About a cup and a half, chopped should be fine.
Good to know that when your oven goes out the night before Thanksgiving, this can be made in the microwave. I rarely use the thing but it came in handy while I was using my stove top to try to make some other dishes. My guys were happy so I’m good. 🙂
That is very good to know!