Pure cheese perfection!
We are now at 3 days until the Super Bowl! Do you have your menu ready? (That is the most important part of the game, right?) If you want a different spin on a dip, give this hot and bubbling baked ricotta a try. Its three cheese combo is bound to impress.
The original post from March 2017
Sometimes you just can’t get enough cheese. Maybe you had a chicken parm sandwich, but the chicken got in the way of your cheese. Or maybe you had a plain grilled cheese, but the bread seemed to be more front and center. That’s when it’s time to make a dish that asserts its cheesiness. Allow me to introduce you to baked ricotta.
This appetizer is all about the cheese with main ingredients of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. While it’s meant to be served with crostini or crackers, feel free to put as much of the baked ricotta on top of the crostini as you want. No one’s judging you. In fact, if you feel so inspired, you can eat it directly from a spoon.
This dish is best eaten piping hot, so plan your baking time accordingly. Be sure you’ve scheduled it to align with your dining time. You wouldn’t want the dish of baked ricotta to sit on the counter and cool, while waiting for diners to converge. You want to eat this stuff with a warning to be careful and not burn your tongue.
Although I made it in one baking dish, I might advocate for dividing and baking it in enough containers for each diner. While I am a mild-mannered person, I just might yield my fork as a weapon to insure that I get my fair share of the dip.
Make a batch. Get your accoutrements ready. Dig in and enjoy!
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 1-1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Mix ricotta, ¾ cup mozzarella, garlic, basil, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Grease 1 quart baking dish with other tablespoon of olive oil.
- Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Top with additional ½ cup mozzarella.
- Switch oven to broil; place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until top is golden brown.
