Green Olive and Artichoke Spread
APPETIZER
Total Time: 15 mins
Prep Time: 15 mins
Yield: 16 servings
Dish Size: 1.5-Quart Baker
Olives and artichokes grow all along the shores of the Mediterranean. This spread is a lot like a French tapenade, usually made with olives and other good things, like the artichokes used here. I make my version with cream cheese to give it a nice, spreadable consistency for serving alongside crackers or toasted bread rounds. - Tara
INGREDIENTS
- 2 8-ounce packageslight cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups pimento-stuffed green olives (or any other kind of pitted olives), drained
- 1 12-ounce jarmarinated artichoke hearts, drained
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- zest and juice of 1lemon
- 2 tsp minced garlic, or to taste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Directions
- Place cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until creamy and soft, about 1 minute.
- Transfer cream cheese to a 1.5-quart temp-tations® baking dish. (There's no need to clean out the food processor bowl before proceeding.)
- Place remaining ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until very finely chopped but not puréed, about 1 minute.
- Combine olive mixture with cream cheese, mixing well. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of parsley, if desired.
Tara’s Tidbits®
To lower the sodium content of this spread, rinse olives extremely well to wash away some of their salty brine. Black olives, pitted kalamata olives, or any other kind of pitted olives can be used in place of the green. Or, try a mixture of different kinds of olives!