Artichokes. Do you love them or hate them? I'm a huge fan of them, in all forms. Most days in college I'd load up my lunch salad with enough artichoke hearts to clean out the salad bar entirely. Then during our junior year, I visited Brian in Rome as he was studying abroad and was introduced to "carciofi fritti" - fried artichokes. Whoa mama on those, by the way, but I'd have to say that my favorite version is when they're stuffed.
Not that I end up eating much of the artichoke itself with stuffed artichokes. Those leaves are simply a means for shoveling breadcrumbs, cheese, and olive oil into my mouth. Under the guise of eating a vegetable. Funny how that works, but uhhh...I'll take it.
Making stuffed artichokes is messy. And time-consuming. This dip packs all of the delicious ingredients and flavors of the labor-intensive original (including the artichokes!) without the hassle. Cannellini beans are newcomers to the stuffed artichoke game, but they serve a great purpose. Once pureed, they add a creamy texture to the dip, as well as fiber and other nutrients. All justification for stuffing your face with stuffed artichoke dip. 🙂
The hardest part of making this dip is cleaning the food processor after you've pureed the artichoke hearts and cannellini beans. A.k.a. making this dip is not that hard at all. I just hate cleaning the food processor.
After you've food processed the hearts and beans, all that's left to do is stirring, baking, and munching. The Italian trifecta of my dreams of breadcrumbs, cheese, and olive oil (♥) is stirred in, among a few other ingredients, and topped with more breadcrumbs and olive oil. The dip is then baked so that it's heated throughout and the Parmesan becomes melty (definitely a good thing). Now here comes another hard part - waiting for the dip to cool slightly so that you don't burn your mouth when you gobble it up. Patience is not a virtue I often possess. 🙂
I've used multi-grain crackers as my vessel of choice for this dip, but I imagine just about any type of chip, cracker, or veggie would do the trick just fine. Or you can spread it on a sandwich in place of a condiment, which I haven't tried but has me craving it so badly that I may just remake this tomorrow to give it a shot. Any excuse for more of this dip in my life!
Stuffed Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 2 14.1-oz cans quartered artichoke hearts
- 1 15-oz can cannellini beans
- 1 ½ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs plus 3 tablespoon for topping
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 tablespoon olive oil plus 2 teaspoon for topping
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Drain and rinse artichoke hearts and cannellini beans, then add all to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the artichoke/bean mixture has a smooth consistency.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, onion, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly distributed.
- Transfer mixture to a cast iron skillet or a large baking dish (about 9" x 13"). Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoon breadcrumbs over top of dip, then drizzle remaining 2 teaspoon olive oil. Bake until dip is heated throughout, approximately 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition DisclaimerIf you're digging the addition of cannellini beans in dips, check out this Easy Warm Italian Dip, too!
Terri says
A perfect appy for a Fourth of July gathering! 🙂
Alyssa says
Yes, definitely! 🙂
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says
This dip sounds so yummy! Love artichoke dip and I love putting pita chips in any kind of dip!
Alyssa says
Thanks Jessica - I totally agree!
Krystle(Baking Beauty) says
I am not an artichoke fan as I've eaten some terribly cooked ones I guess lol.
This looks delicious though. I might have to give them another try!
Alyssa says
Haha yeah, artichoke preparation is key! Thanks Krystle! 🙂
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
I love when I get to whip out my food processor 😀 This dip looks delicious! I love artichoke dip and your variation with cannellini beans sounds amazing! Pinning!
Alyssa says
Thanks! Haha you must have the patience of a saint to clean that thing, Cindy! 🙂
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I am a HUGE fan of artichokes, so this dip sounds delicious! The bread crumbs add a little something extra too. Delish!
Alyssa says
Thanks Gayle! Love the breadcrumb topping - it gives a nice 'crunch' to it! 🙂
Ashley says
haha I hate cleaning the food processor too. But I'll do it for this dip! Gosh I love dips - which is why I can't make them too often : )
Alyssa says
Haha oh I'm like that with dips, too. Too many times I'll be munching away to realize half of it has disappeared - whoops! 🙂
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes says
LOVE this deconstructed stuff artichoke, this is so smart and creative!!! def easier that dealing with the actual thing anddd it looks freakin' delicious 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Christine! Same delish taste = MUCH less work = yes please! 🙂
Anna Johnston says
I remember as an apprentice chef preparing artichoke, hours of time, maybe thats why I don't dig em, actually I hate em, but you make me wanna like them. Great recipe. If someone prepared it for me, Id prob really enjoy it. 🙂 Wanna 'beam me up' a batch? LOL!
Alyssa says
Haha I can so see why you wouldn't be a fan, Anna. So much prep! Wish food could be transferred through the computer - I'd definitely send some your way. 🙂
Monet says
I love artichoke...and you can never go wrong with dip 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Alyssa says
Thanks Monet! I agree. 🙂
Lynette says
Wow! Having delicious stuffed artichokes without all the work. Brilliant. Can't wait go try this one.
Alyssa says
It's a win-win! 🙂
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
I hate cleaning my food processor too, Alyssa, but I would put up with doing it to sample this beautiful dip! 🙂
Alyssa says
Haha, that is high praise, Helen! I'll tell you it was well worth the effort. 🙂
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
This sounds delicious Alyssa! I just love artichokes, and especially love artichoke dip. I want to grab some pita chips and start digging in!
Alyssa says
Thanks! I can't believe I didn't think to mention spinach artichoke dip up there in my post. In high school my friends and I would go eat 1/2 price apps at Applebees on the weekends and could never decide on which combo of appetizers to get. Spinach artichoke dip was always a definite. 🙂