Creamy Artichoke Dip in a Bread bowl

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So to end Artichoke week I decided that dip was the way to go. I was going to a backyard movie party and artichoke dip called out to me and said,

"yo! over here. I'm perfect for your little soiree."

"You're right artichoke dip, lets do this!"

So, what says I'm totally rad than a freakin' bread bowl. Yeah that's right, you heard me. Bread. Bowl. Disneyland was the first magical place where I partook in the chowder in bread bowl and it blew my adolescent mind. Seriously, can you get more green than to eat your serving container? No, I should say not. So, we are putting our dip in a dang bread bowl. Captain Planet would be proud.

Let's just get going with this because I am way to pumped about cheesy hot dip in a bread bowl.

Ingredients:
2 jars marinated artichokes (little ones or 1 big jar)
3 artichoke crowns in water (I used canned)
1 cup vegenaise (dude I love this stuff)
1/2 cup parmesan (I think. I just dumped in what I had left from all of this week's recipes)
1/4 cup shaved cheese (I used enchilado cheese from the Latin section of the dairy aisle)
Herbs de' Provence
2 seeded baguettes or your choice of dipping bread

Preheat that oven to 350

Chop up the marinated artichoke hearts and the 3 crowns.
Add the cup of vegenaise, parmesan and grated enchilado.
Sprinkle in about 1 teaspoon of herbs.

Ok. Let's talk about my love for McCormick's French Herb Roasting Rub. This stuff is seriously mind blowing. I love love love it. I'm maybe obsessed. I first used it in Tennessee when I was cooking Carnie Wilson on a show called Outsider's Inn. They had the roasting rub in the spice cabinet and we started throwing it in soups and mashed cauliflower. You name it, it made it sing like Judy Garland on uppers. When I got back to California I found that it was extremely hard to find. Now I hold on to it for dear life, rationing it out, a sprinkle here, a sprinkle there. But thankfully I discovered you can buy it on their website. Woo hoo! Mama is back in business.

Back to the dip. Mix up the yummy goop and throw it into an oven save dish, casserole or even pyrex bowl. You can also microwave it but it won't be yummy and crispy.

While you are baking the dip, empty out the bread bowl. Cut a circle and pull the top off. Remove the chewy insides and maybe allow yourself to eat a few pieces.

Cut the seeded baguettes into slices and drizzle with olive oil. Toast them till lightly golden. Or if you have my sad little toaster oven, burnt the crap out of them and then start over. Seriously, I need a new toaster oven.

When your dip is hot throughout, remove it from the oven and spoon into the bread bowl. Put back in the oven to give the bowl a crusty toasty outside that will also keep your dip hot as you take it to the party.

There you have it. A deliciously creamy artichoke dip that is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.