Hot Collards and Artichoke Dip — The Southern Kitchen That Always Has Room for One More

Spring gardening with Robert, writing Librarian's Table blog companion pieces, Carrie visits from UGA with boyfriend Marcus Okafor. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.

I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.

The she-crab soup was Sunday’s anchor, but Saturday evening — the night Carrie walked through the door with Marcus on her arm and that nervous-proud look on her face — called for something immediate and warm, something that said “you belong here” before anyone had to say a word. I pulled this Hot Collards and Artichoke Dip from the oven just as they set down their bags, and the way Marcus reached for a second scoop told me everything I needed to know about him. Some recipes exist to feed the stomach; this one exists to close the distance between strangers.

Hot Collards and Artichoke Dip

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 cup cooked collard greens, well-drained and chopped
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices, or crackers for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
2. Prepare the greens. If using freshly cooked collards, squeeze them thoroughly in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Chop finely. Excess moisture will make the dip watery, so don’t skip this step.
3. Mix the base. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and stir until fully combined and creamy.
4. Add the mix-ins. Fold in the chopped artichoke hearts, collard greens, 3/4 cup of the pepper jack cheese, all of the Parmesan, garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion powder. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Fill and top. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of pepper jack cheese over the top.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 28—32 minutes, until the dip is hot throughout, the edges are bubbling, and the top is lightly golden.
7. Rest and serve. Let the dip rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm directly from the dish with tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices, or sturdy crackers alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 340mg