Hot Artichoke Dip

I found a recipe in a magazine for a warm dip to serve during the holidays that I wanted to try. It looked like a promising recipe, but it turned out to be rather disappointing. "There's something missing" one family member said, "It's a little bit too bland" said another. So I experimented until we found a version that was satisfactory. I share it with you here and wish you a Happy New Year!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 leek, washed well and chopped
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 4-oz. jars sliced pimientos, drained
1 cup mayonnaise (not fat free, or it will be runny)
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. In skillet, cook leek in butter or olive oil until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in artichoke hearts, pimientos, mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian salad dressing mix, pepper and 1 Tablespoon of the parsley.

Spread mixture into a 9" pie plate or casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1 Tablespoon parsley.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. (You may microwave the dip instead for about 6-8 minutes at 70% power, turning the dish halfway through if you don't have a turntable.)

Serve with vegetable dippers and torn bread.