Peppery Bacon-Cheddar Artichoke Spread

Peppery Bacon-Cheddar Artichoke Spread

Sometimes I feel like I live at the supermarket. Like I should actually just get a cot and call it home. It's part of my jobs, and I love my jobs, but I've often joked that if I could shop for clothes at the supermarket life would be so much simpler.

With this in mind, you can probably understand why I didn't want to head back to the supermarket yet another time when a friend invited us over and I offered to bring an appetizer. I decided I was going to bring something that didn't require a trip to the store.

So, I "went shopping" at home. I found a can of artichoke hearts in the pantry, along with bacon and cheddar cheese in the fridge. I even had a box of wheat crackers in the cabinet. YES! I'd make a new version of artichoke dip.

I'd already come up with five ways to make artichoke dip and posted it on the Viking Web site a few years ago (Five-Way Artichoke Dip).

Version six included not only bacon and cheddar cheese, but a hefty amount of freshly ground black pepper, which provided the perfect "bite" to the spread.

This time, I didn't bother chopping the artichokes by hand. I just threw everything into my Viking food processor...


...pulsed it a few times and voila! The spread was ready for the oven.


This may just be my favorite incarnation of artichoke spread to date.


Peppery Bacon-Cheddar Artichoke Spread

6 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp and coarsely chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, well drained
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
5 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
Wheat crackers, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the artichoke hearts in the food processor and pulse a few times. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until blended but still chunky.

Spread in a baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly around the edges.

Serve with the wheat crackers.

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