Hot Bacon, Artichoke, Chile and Cheese Dip Appetizer Recipe

Last year I wrote a book called 101 Things To Do With Bacon. What I’ve since learned is that if you write a bacon cookbook and then show up at a potluck with some oddball dish that doesn’t include bacon, the guests are likely to shun you for the rest of the party.

With that in mind, I decided to improvise with a hot dip recipe that blends all the yummiest ingredients I could think of—including, of course, crispy, crunchy bacon.

Hot Bacon, Artichoke, Chile and Cheese Dip

• 6 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy
• 1 13.5-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 cup real mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Chop or crumble the bacon finely, reserving about a fourth of the bacon bits to sprinkle on top.

Remove any tough leaves from the artichoke hearts and chop them in 1/2-inch pieces.

In a 1 1/2-quart ovenproof dish, combine the mayonnaise, three-fourths of the bacon bits, the artichoke hearts, the Monterey Jack cheese, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top) and chiles.

Smooth the top a bit, and sprinkle the mixture with the reserved bacon bits and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve warm with thin slices of toasted French bread or bagel chips. 8 to 10 servings.

What’s your favorite go-to appetizer recipe for holiday parties?