Lemony Bacon Artichoke Dip

I must be on a lemon kick lately. I've had quite a few recipes that have called for it in unconventional ways. Our family has another spinach artichoke dip we have made in the past that we love, but I thought maybe we should branch out. This one, after all, includes bacon. In the end, I think we will just stick with our tried and true recipe.

This one wasn't bad. The bacon was definitely a plus. But as I've found in a few situations recently, the lemon just seems out of place. We had plenty of leftovers and I took some for my lunches over the next few days. Maybe the bacon seeped into the other flavors more, but I didn't notice the lemon as much later. When it was fresh, though, it was pretty strong. Maybe make the whole recipe, and just leave out the lemon (hard, I know, because it's in the title)?

• 5 thick-sliced uncooked bacon strips, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz) water packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• tortilla chips or pita bread wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 2 Tbsp in the pan. Add artichoke hearts and garlic to drippings; cook and stir for 1 minute.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in lemon juice. Fold in artichoke mixture and half the bacon.

Transfer mixture to a greased 2 qt baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon; top with Parmesan cheese. Bake dip uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with chips or pita wedges.

Serves: 10

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min

Recipe from Taste of Home