Pure cheese perfection!
I know, last week was all about healthy eating, and I’m starting this week with total indulgence. No, I’m not trying to sway you from your resolutions, but I do want to offer one piece of advice (that you’ve probably heard before). It’s not good to deny yourself yummy foods all the time. So, why not stick to your resolution Monday through Friday and then allow yourself to indulge on one or two of the weekend days? If that makes sense, bookmark this recipe now. You’ll be wanting to make it this weekend. It’s all the cheesiness you could want!
To learn more about this recipe, originally published in March 2017, keep reading.
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.
