Artichoke Chile Dip

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 Unfortunately, most of the research in it was outdated by the time my last baby started to grow in 2007. For that matter, since my mom consulted that book when she was pregnant with my younger brother, it was probably outdated by the time my first baby started to grow in 1996.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.