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College football season is officially underway and I am sure by the time I get this posted the NFL season will be in full swing as well. We love football, weather at the Coliseum enjoying our fifth season of USC season tickets, or watching the NFL with friends all Sunday long. I especially love football because it's one of those things that is all about eating, yelling and togetherness!!
We made our way over to a friends house to watch the first USC game of the season at the end of August and I brought this dip (last time I brought the CRACK DIP, and this went just as fast and was very, very yummy.)
I did also make a super simple salad (with cucumber, tomato and loads of avocado so I wasn't just bringing something totally awful health wise).
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This was for a group of 8-10
Cheesy Bacon Artichoke Dip~
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 finely chopped green onions
10 pieces of bacon
1 6.5 ounce jar of artichoke hearts, drained chopped (use a few paper towels to really press/ remove the moisture/oil)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
black pepper, to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper
Ritz Crackers (buy a WHOLE box- you're gonna use them!)
Spread a piece of foil over a cookie sheet, place the bacon on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until crisp but not burnt...remove cooked bacon to a plate covered in paper towel and cover with more paper towel to remove as much grease as possible- let cool then crumble/ chop into bits for use in the dip.
Using a hand mixer blend the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Add the shredded cheeses, onions, bacon, artichoke, garlic, cayenne and pepper. Stir all with a spatula or the hand mixer until well combined. Spread in a corning wear or other baking/serving dish and top generously with crushed Ritz crackers.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
(this can also be made a day before, put the mix in baking dish, DO NOT top with crackers, cover and refrigerate) Top with crackers before baking and add about 15-20 additional minutes to baking time.
Serve with crackers and sourdough bread