ROASTED SHALLOT & GARLIC CAESAR DIP IS COMING FOR BASIC SPINACH & ARTICHOKE

It might have roots elsewhere, but the Caesar salad has become an American staple, akin to burgers and pizza. There are many iterations of crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a creamy dressing with notes of Parmesan cheese, funky anchovy, lemon, and black pepper. We love riffing off Caesar salad, especially like our fried chicken Caesar sandwich, and now we have a dip to look forward to, one that’s filled with roasted shallots and garlic. Watch out, spinach-artichoke dip—this is the appetizer no one will see coming.

What makes it a Caesar dip?

This dip starts off with a base of cream cheese and mayo. The addition of Parmigiano, Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and a wee bit of anchovy brings the Caesar notes forward. Serve the dip with toasted crostini or pieces of romaine lettuce to simulate salad vibes.

Storage:Break up the time it takes to make this dip and roast the shallots and garlic up to 3 days head. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Roast the garlic and shallots ahead of time. The dip (without the mozzarella) can be made at most 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add mozzarella to the dip and bake until golden brown and bubbly.

Made this recipe let us know in the comments below!

Yields: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins

Ingredients

• 4

  medium shallots, halved lengthwise, unpeeled

• 3

  heads of garlic (about 5 oz. total), halved through the equator, unpeeled

• 2

  (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

• 3 oz.

  Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1/2 c.

  mayonnaise

• 1 tbsp.

  Dijon mustard

• 1

  oil-packed anchovy fillet, finely chopped

• 1/4 tsp.

  finely grated lemon zest

• 1 tsp.

  freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp.

  kosher salt

• 4 oz.

  fresh mozzarella, shredded

• Romaine hearts or crostini, for serving

Directions

1. Arrange rack in center of oven; preheat to 450°. Wrap shallot and garlic halves in foil. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Bake shallots and garlic until softened, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste, lemon zest, pepper, and salt. Peel and finely chop shallots; fold into cream cheese mixture. Squeeze out garlic cloves and stir into cream cheese mixture. Pour into an 8" cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
4. Bake dip until golden and bubbly around the edges, about 50 minutes.
5. Turn on broiler. Broil, watching closely, until top of dip is golden brown and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes more. Let cool slightly.
6. Serve with romaine or crostini alongside.

2025-02-07T20:14:25Z