roasted artichoke dip

around noon on thanksgiving i stopped at the grocery store, halfway between my house and my parents', to get a loaf of bread to go with this dip. as i pulled into the parking lot, almost at a dead stop scanning for a spot, i hear jason yell "woah, woah, woah" at the same time i hear a crunch. i was t-boned in a parking lot by a woman who pulled out of her spot directly into my stopped car. note i said pulled out, not backed out. so if she looked up, she saw me. needless to say, we were all perfectly fine, since the car wasn't moving, but she managed to do $3,500+ in damage, including replacing both of my passenger side doors. thank goodness that's all it was.

we exchanged information, i parked, and we bought bread. and that's been the biggest pain in the butt loaf of bread i've ever had.

and then we topped the bread with dip. i've always been a fan of spinach artichoke dip (really, who isn't?!), and as soon as i saw this roasted version, minus the spinach, i instantly knew it would make it's way to thanksgiving. not only was it delicious and demolished in about 15 minutes, but i made it the day before and baked it off when i got to my parents' house. bonus that all but one of the ingredients - frozen artichoke hearts - i already had in my pantry. this one could very easily become a party staple. we served ours with bread and crackers and both were delicious.

roasted artichoke dip
adapted from cook's illustrated holiday entertaining 2012
serves 12

if you prefer to make this the day of serving rather than a day or two ahead, skip step 4 and top and bake as directed.

18 ounces frozen artichokes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. preheat your oven to 450F. line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. add the artichokes, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. roast, stirring a few times, for about 25 minutes or until artichokes start to brown. set aside to cool. 
2. coat a small skillet over medium heat and coat with olive oil. add onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. add the garlic and saute until fragrant, one minute. remove from heat and set aside.
3. in a medium bowl, blend the mayonnaise, cream cheese, parmesan, lemon juice, and thyme until well blended. stir in the onion mixture and the artichokes. transfer to an 8 inch by 8 inch square baking dish and smooth the top.
4. cover and store the dip in the refrigerator over night or until ready to heat and eat.
5. preheat your oven to 400F.
6. in a small bowl, melt the butter and stir in the bread crumbs and parmesan. spread the mixture evenly over the dip.
7. bake the dip, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until hot throughout.