You will love this great appetizer recipe, but first, since I haven’t mentioned it lately… Just so you know, I am aware that my picture taking skills are severely lacking. While I’m actually getting a little bit better, this picture doesn’t reflect that at all. Trust me when I tell you that everyone went wild over this dip when Amy brought it to our bible study dinner. When I tried it on the family recently they loved it, too, even the kids! (Which surprised me, since pesto is green ya know.) I’m planning to take this appetizer when we go to Joe & Meg’s annual New Year’s Eve party…right next door. It’s always a lot of fun, and we don’t have to drive anywhere! After that, I’ll update this picture and try to do better.
If you have any easy appetizer recipes to share, comment below! Here’s my complete appetizer list.
Amy’s Warm Pesto Cheese Dip
- 1 brick cream cheese or 2-3 wheels boursin cheese
- Basil pesto – about 1/2 c. or so
- Sundried tomatoes, chopped – about 1/3 c. or more if you like a lot (In the picture Amy hadn’t chopped them, but it’s easier for dipping into if you do.) I could only find these with preservatives in the ingredients – does anyone know if these are easy to make yourself?
- Shredded cheddar cheese (Amy used raw milk cheddar, I only had parmesan in the fridge) – about 1/2 c. or more if you prefer.
Place cream cheese or boursin cheese in a buttered baking dish. Top with a generous amount of basil pesto, so it drips over the sides. (If yours is really thick, you may want to mix it with a T. or so of olive oil.) Top with sundried tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Heat in a 350* oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheddar cheese is melted and cream cheese is soft.
Serve with pita triangles, bagel crisps, or your favorite crackers.
Thanks, Amy D.!
- Here’s Amy’s Q&A guest post (with her sister in-law, Lyn) in case you haven’t seen it.
- Amy’s recipe for Honey Balsamic Chicken
- Lots more healthy main dish recipe ideas
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Soli 12.29.09 at 10:00 am
Oh what timing! I am going to strain raw milk for whey and cream cheese today. Now I have an idea of something to make with the cc!
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Sherri 12.29.09 at 12:31 pm
I’m gonna make this for lunch! I’m basically new to the traditional diet and have purchased ‘Nourishing Traditions’. I grow all our vegies. I dried tomatoes (not in the sun though), and was wondering about lacto-fermented tomatoes. Is it necessary to put them up that way? I do can most of them and wondering if I’m destroying most of the nutrients by putting them up this way?…..
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gojigirl 12.29.09 at 2:25 pm
I haven’t actually made ’sun-dried’ tomatoes myself, as my tomato crop was disappointing this last summer. But here are instructions from one of my favorite food bloggers. http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/ Enjoy!
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Rachel J. 12.29.09 at 3:24 pm
My husband just forwarded me this because he is skeptical about Coconut oil – have you heard about any of those studies that show it raises bad cholesterol? I’d love to pass on a scientific rebuttal to my husband. Do you know where I could find one online? Thanks!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-overrated-food-trends-pg,0,6975867.photogallery
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Kelly the Kitchen Kop 12.29.09 at 4:05 pm
Soli, let us know what you think!
Sherri, I don’t know a lot about canning, but cooking foods always decreases nutrient content. It’s still better than the store-bought canned tomatoes for sure, though.
GG, thanks for the link.
Rachel, just the last line of that article says it all – they want us to use canola and other “studied” vegetable oils instead??? The first commenter there said it well. Here’s a good article on coconut oil: http://www.westonaprice.org/A-New-Look-at-Coconut-Oil.html
Kelly
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christina 12.29.09 at 9:37 pm
You can make sun dried tomatoes easily in a food dehydrator. I bought my years ago for about $30. I would guess you could dry them in the oven on very low and get the same results.
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Christine Kennedy 01.01.10 at 1:01 pm
I have done regular sized tomatoes, just sliced, and cherry tomatoes, halved in the dehydrator. They always turn out great. Just store in a zip lock in the cupboard. Easy! I just made a similar dip with goat cheese, avocado oil, garlic, herbs, sundried tomatoes, and black olives. YUM!
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Elizabeth 01.18.10 at 12:57 pm
Yum! Will try this soon.
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