Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Warm Black Eyed Pea & Artichoke Dip

Are you the person who hangs near the chip and dip table, sneaking dunks into the various bowls hoping no one has noticed you haven't moved in 30 minutes?

(I call that the quality control position, which I'll gladly assume at any party with a tasty spread)

Or, are you the person who could easily pass on something sweet if it meant another bowl of something salty and savory?

Jason is a sugar fanatic so while he reaches for the box of Nerds or a scoop of ice cream, I throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave. Or leftover dip and chips. Or grab some salted sunflower seeds (my current obsession). Truly, there are few things better than a big bowl of dip and some salty chips to load it up on. Which is why I was really diggin' this recipe.

This is sorta a twist on a traditional spinach and artichoke dip... but not really. I mean, there are artichokes in it but it tastes different. Not so gooey cheesy.

(now I'm craving spinach and artichoke dip)

Take a can of blackeyed peas and a can of artichokes, mix it all up with some sauteed onion, mayo, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, and cheese then bake. I mean hello?!


Now I will say that we found the ranch dressing to be the overpowering flavor so I'd suggest you aim for more like half the packet. Unless you really really love ranch dressing flavor and if so, throw the whole packet in.

The best part about this recipe is that it takes one mixing bowl and one cast iron skillet. I have some baby cast iron skillets that I have been DYING to use so since this was just for the two of us, I made one baby skillet worth and put the rest of the dip in the fridge to bake another time. If you're serving it to a crowd, use your big cast iron and it'll be the perfect size.


Warm Black Eyed Pea & Artichoke Dip
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
1 (16oz) can of black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (14oz) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dry seasoning mix (or less - see my note above)
1 cup of shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, whatever you have on hand)
 
Preheat oven to 350.
 
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, saute the onion until golden brown.
 
In a large mixing bowl, mix the sour cream, mayo, and ranch mix.  Add the rest of the ingredients - including the sauteed onion - and mix well. 
 
Pour the mixture back into the cast iron skillet and bake for 20 minutes.
 
Serve warm.
 
 
 

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