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Artichoke sauce is a creamy spread made from artichoke hearts, cream sauce, and cheese. It’s typically served as an appetizer with bread, crackers, or vegetables. The dip can also be used as a condiment, side dish, or spread in sandwiches. There are many variations, but the artichoke flavor should still be the focal point. Less is more when adding extra ingredients, and the dip should be refrigerated if it’s low in acidity.
Artichoke sauce is a creamy spread made from artichoke hearts, cream sauce and cheese. It’s typically offered alongside appetizers at a party, with guests dipping bread, crackers, or vegetables into the dip. Artichoke dip can also be used as a side dish or condiment to complement various roasted meats, or as a spread in sandwiches and wraps.
To make a basic artichoke dip, cooks combine artichoke hearts with mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. The goal is to use just enough mayonnaise to combine the sauce into a creamy mixture and not enough to make the sauce heavy or greasy. Depending on the cook’s taste, the artichoke hearts can be chopped up for a coarse dip or run through a blender for a creamier, smoother dip.
There are a number of variations on the artichoke dip. The above recipe can be heated in the microwave or oven to make a hot dip, for example. Whole artichoke hearts can be cooked in a creamy yogurt-cheese mixture until softened and the baked dip develops a golden crust for a more luxurious version of artichoke dip, and the dip can also include add-ons like paprika, baked eggplant, roasted red pepper, spinach, crabmeat and so on.
For cooks who don’t like to work with mayonnaise, artichoke dip can be made with plain yogurt, sour cream, or a cheese and milk mixture made into a thick cream. Virtually any soft cheese can be used, from cream cheese to blue cheese, and a hard cheese can also be grated into the dip for more texture. Crunchy items such as pickles, olives, and so on can also be included in this dip. The flavor of the artichokes should still be let through though, as they are the focal point of this spread.
As a general rule, less is more with artichoke dip. If cooks want to add extra ingredients, they should only add one by two, so the dip doesn’t get overwhelmed by the extra flavors. If the artichoke dip is naturally low in acidity, as is the case with a mayonnaise-based dip, it should also be refrigerated so it doesn’t start harboring bacteria.
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