An oldie but a goodie

Hooray for appetizers!  I always seem to get excited about them when football season rolls around.  And I guess Sarah does too, since she announced that tailgating/appetizer recipes was the theme for our latest recipe swap.

When I saw my assignment from The Jey of Cooking, I realized that there was an important recipe I'd yet to blog.  So I took Jessica's idea of making wonton cups, and combined it with my Aunt Joan's artichoke dip recipe that I've been making for about 25 years.  (WOW, did I just date myself or what?!?!)

The cups are very easy to make...I sprayed the cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray and placed a wrapper in each cup.  Place the pan in a 375 degree oven and bake for about 3-4 minutes, until they look like they're keeping their form.

Unfortunately, I realized I left my mini-muffin pan at a friend's house, so I had to make mine a little bigger in a standard size muffin pan.  They aren't nearly as cute :(  So, I made two in one cup, but as you can see they look a little lop-sided.  They still tasted great, though!

This dip can easily be served on its own, following the recipe instructions below.  Or, as Jessica did, you can make the dip without heating it, stuff the cups, and bake for about 7-8 minutes.

Another successful swap under our belts.  Thanks for the inspiration, Jessica!

Hot Artichoke Dip
from Aunt Joan

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of salt
3 garlic cloves, chopped
few shakes of hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all ingredients and place in oven safe serving dish.  Sprinkle top with extra cheese.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until sides and top are lightly brown.

***I usually double or triple this recipe, depending on the size of the crowd and how many other apps there are...keep in mind, it always goes FAST!***