Take-out Tuesday, Baked Artichoke Hearts Parmesan, Bunny Spinach Dip and Menu Shortcuts

the Painted Apron

4 years ago

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend

We celebrated Easter with an indoor egg hunt and a delicious lunch

I wanted to make it feel special,

but also keep it both kid and adult friendly

You might be thinking, wow, that’s a lot of work,

but let me share a few easy short cuts with you…

Originally I was going to make Spinach Dip in a bread bowl,

but decided to use a ceramic dish so I could make it 2 days ahead

When I set up the buffet I added 2 vanilla biscotti

{from the grocery bakery} for bunny ears

Baby carrots, celery and asparagus spears*

*{1-2 minutes in the microwave for crisp tender}

were placed in bowls nearby for dipping

I bought cheddar cheese cubes from the grocery deli

and put the cubes on a plate in the form of a big carrot

Parsley sprigs were the carrot top

Super simple, very festive, and kid and adult friendly

Bunny Bait Chex Mix is my recipe for Chex Mix

with peanut M & Ms and yogurt covered pretzels mixed in after baking

Bacon Tot Bundles aka Brown Sugar Bacon Bundles are hard to resist

frozen tater tots are wrapped in bacon,

topped with brown sugar and baked to crispy perfection…

AND

you can prep them the day before

and stash them in the fridge until needed

HHjr cut up honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon the day before

If you have time to cut melon,

it is so much better than the pre-cut fruit from the produce section

I put it on a large platter

with a bowl of peeps on the side

Easter morning was rainy but…

rain or shine, the grilling must go on!

HHjr put up a tent and he and his “sous chef,” Big E,

grilled Lamb Lollipops

{individual chops cut from racks of lamb~

Trader Joe’s has a great price on these}

My family loves artichokes,

so I decided to try a new side dish

which was perfect with the grilled lamb…

Baked artichoke hearts covered with butter,

garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs

This couldn’t be easier to make!

Melt butter in a shallow casserole dish

{I used a 9″ deep pie dish}

Drain artichoke hearts well

Add them to the dish and roll them around in the butter to coat

Top with a generous layer of Parmesan

Followed by a generous layer of seasoned breadcrumbs

and then a drizzle of butter

I did this the morning of the party,

but you could definitely make this a day ahead

Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes right before serving

Baked Artichoke Hearts Parmesan

Artichoke hearts are bathed in garlic butter and topped with Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs for an easy and yummy side dish

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword artichoke casserole, artichoke hearts, baked artichoke hearts, easy side dish, Parmesan artichoke hearts

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings 8

Ingredients

4 jars 12 oz., small artichoke hearts
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
finely grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder
seasoned breadcrumbs I used Panko Italian seasoned

Instructions

Drain artichoke hearts well and pat dry
Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a small shallow casserole dish, I used a 9" deep pie dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder to taste
Add artichokes and stir and turn to coat with butter
Top with a generous layer of Parmesan, then a generous layer of breadcrumbs
Melt remaining Tablespoon butter and drizzle over breadcrumbs
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase heat during the last few minutes or put under the broiler for just a minute to turn topping golden if desired.
Serves 6-8

Bunny Spinach Dip

Prep this easy dip in under 5 minutes and serve with a variety of vegetable dippers, crackers, chips or baguette slices

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword cold party dip, easy vegetable dip, spinach dip

Prep Time 5

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg Knorr's or Recipe Secret Vegetable Soup Mix
1 pkg 10 oz., frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 green onions, chopped, optional

Instructions

Drain spinach in a colander, squeezing to release juices. Pat dry with paper towels, squeezing again to remove as much water as possible.
Combine mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in dry soup mix. Add spinach and stir well to combine. Add chopped green onion if desired.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Can be made up to 48 hours in advance
Serve with a variety of vegetable dippers, crackers, chips or baguette slices
Add bunny ears if desired with 2 biscotti or pieces of french bread