Savory Baked Ricotta Cheese Dip

dip and crackers

If you’re looking for a warm dip that’s perfect for game day, a special occasion or just a snack at anytime, look no further, my savory baked ricotta cheese dip is the one for you!

It’s warm and creamy, filled with cheese and herbs, a touch of garlic and a bit of cherry tomatoes for extra added flavor. It’s a recipe I guarantee you’ll want to double or triple.

ricotta dip

Decorate the top like an Italian hummus with more herbs, olive oil, red pepper flakes to enhance every scoop. You can serve it with toasted baguette slices, fresh veggies or your favorite crackers, it’s all good.

baked ricotta

A nice shallow baking dish works well for this because it gives you a nice surface to spread the cheese onto and to put on your toppings.

Whip up this savory baked ricotta cheese dip for a special treat!

Savory Baked Ricotta Cheese Dip
 
Game day, special occasion or just a delicious snack, this dip is the one for you, you'll definitely want. to double or triple the recipe!
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Ingredients
  • 1½ cups. of ricotta, if too liquidy drain in a strainer over a bowl for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese
  • 5 or 6 sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon each chopped basil and parsley
  • zest of half a lemon
  • 1 grated galic clove
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • OPTIONAL, you can add some sliced olives if you like, extra chopped herbs for the top, red pepper flakes, more parmesan or romano and olive oil of course
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. then. oil a shallow baking dish.
  2. In a bowl hand whip til smooth and incorporated the ricotta, egg, grated cheese, basil, parsley, garlic, zest then fold in the sliced cherry tomatoes.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes or until set.
  4. I like to finish it under the broiler for a minute or two to get it nice and golden.
  5. Decorate the top with more herbs, red pepper flakes, (optional) a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of grated cheese.
  6. Serve warm with crostini toasts, crackers or fresh veggies.
  7. I highly recommend doubling or tripling this recipe!

 

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Roasted Eggplant Artichoke and White Bean Dip

creamy dip

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious appetizer or snack to serve up this summer, I have just the thing! My roasted eggplant, artichoke and white bean dip.

This wonderful dip is like an Italian version of hummus.

It’s full of flavor and quite healthy and comes together quickly using canned cannellini beans and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, with no tahini required! ( I never was a fan).

 

pricked eggplant

The only cooking you’ll be doing is roasting your eggplant, this can be done a day ahead of time, just pierce the skin and roast it whole.

roasted eggplant

The eggplant will eventually collapse and become soft, when it cools down you’ll be able to slice and scoop out the nice creamy flesh inside, which is a key component in your dip along with the artichoke hearts, white beans.

dip

Perfect for entertaining with a beverage of your choice. Serve it swiped on crusty bread, crackers or even veggies.

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Roasted Eggplant Artichoke and White Bean Dip
 
An easy to make summer dip, snack or appetizer!
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 medium/ small eggplant left whole, roasted with flesh scooped out
  • 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 can of cannellini beans, drained
  • 1 or 2 small garlic cloves
  • small handful each of basil and parsley
  • ¼ cup olive oil, extra for top garnish
  • lemon zest
  • a small pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Small jar of roasted red peppers drained, which you will use for garnish only
  • TO GARNISH THE TOP
  • a few olives
  • a swipe of roasted red pepper paste easily made by draining a jar of roasted red peppers and swirling them in a food processor into a thick consistency.
  • olive oil
  • extra chopped herbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  3. Poke fork holes all around the whole eggplant skin, then roast until eggplant is soft and collapsed.
  4. Let the eggplant cool down and then scoop out the flesh.
  5. In a food processor add the artichoke hearts, the beans, the eggplant pulp, olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic cloves, lemon zest and pulse slowly to desired consistency. ( I like to see some of the artichoke bits). Taste for salt and pepper.
  6. Place dip into a serving bowl and make a swirl on top with a small spoon, drizzle in some olive oil into the swirl, add the red color of the roasted red pepper.
  7. Sprinkle with herbs.
  8. Serve with toasted bread, crackers or veggies

 

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Frizzelle

Frizzelle, I haven’t had them in years until a week ago when my friend Jean brought a platter full to our monthly Bunco get together. She stirred up so many good memories eating these as kids, and we all wondered why we stopped buying them! After one bite, I couldn’t wait to go out and get a bag!
Frizelle, sometimes spelled Friselle, are crispy Italian circular breads that have a hole in the center, it’s baked once, then cut in half, then rebaked on a very low temperature until completly dried and super crispy.
You can find Frizzelle usually at any good Italian market or bakery, they’re stacked in a bag, they come in whole wheat or white, small or large size, and they’re very inexpensive!

With just a few store bought ingredients you have the makings for a wonderful snack. This is what I made for Super Bowl Sunday, the husband was very happy!
I ran over to my nearest Italian market and bought a bag of the smaller whole wheat ones, a jar of eggplant salad, which has sliced eggplant marinated in oil and spices, along with roasted red peppers, celery, capers, and smashed green olives, all in one jar, so good! a chunk of good aged fontinella cheese, provolone is just as good, and thinly sliced salami which I diced up when I got home.


Because they’re very crisp, many people like to sprinkle a little water over the top to soften them up. I never do that for mine, I like the crunch! Besides all your toppings soften them up anyway, but that’s just me.

The key thing to do, I mean you have to do this, is take a raw garlic clove and rub it all over, the garlic flavor will fall between the crunchy grooves. Now drizzle olive oil on top of that, a little salt, black pepper, and another key ingredient is dried oregano, shake it all over!

See how everything soaks in? It’s even good to eat it just like this adding a little red wine vinegar drizzled on top.

But it’s much better like this, trust me!
I like to drain my eggplant salad, you don’t need all that oil, you’ve already prepped your bread with your good olive oil.
Play around and experiment with your favorite toppings, how about a ripe tomato salad spooned on top? It’s great to have a bag handy in your pantry when someone pops over for a visit. Quick, easy and so good!
Now go out and try to find these, you’ll be happy you did!
Buon Appetito!

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