Guest Post: Lemon Dill Baked Ricotta

While I do take the time to take photos during my cooking, I rarely do much to them prior to posting. For those like Carey from accordingtocarey.com who do, I love how it looks. It just adds an extra level of class. I am so glad Carey stopped by to bring some more class but also this great recipe. Check it out and make your way over to  accordingtocarey.com. You won’t be disappointed…

Hi everyone!  This is Carey from accordingtocarey.com and I am so happy to be here to share a recipe with you today.  This recipe for Lemon-Dill Baked Ricotta was inspired by the need to nibble on something tasty but easy to throw together on a busy week night.

You see, every few months my girlfriends and I get together for what we call Girls Night.  With our hectic schedules we don’t’ get to spend as much time together as we’d like so Girls Night is our chance to catch-up with each other, have a glass of wine  and eat great food.

Because most of the mixture is made from ricotta cheese it feels light and the lemon gives it zing.  It goes great with a bottle of white wine and friends to share it with.

Let’s get started!

The full recipe is below but I’ll walk you through the process.

Preheat the oven to 375⁰.  After a little chopping, combine the lemon zest, garlic, dill, green onion, ricotta cheese and cream cheese in a small food processor.

Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper and we’re ready to mix.

Pulse the mixture for about 1 minute, till all the ingredients are well mixed.  Next, use a small pat of butter to coat the inside of an oven proof ramekin (8 oz).  The butter will keep the cheesy mixture from sticking to the sides and will make clean up much easier.  Besides, a little butter makes everything better.

Spoon the mixture into the ramekin then drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Trust me, do not skip this step.  Place the ramekin on the baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown lightly.

Cheese overboard!  See why that foil is so important?  OK, you could use a bigger ramekin to avoid the spillage but I kinda like the drama.

On Girl’s Night I served the baked ricotta with toasted baquette rounds but you can also use pita chips or any other crackers you like.

I also love to eat this mixture for breakfast on a toasted English muffin.  Add a little smoked salmon and you would have the perfect brunch snack.

That’s it, so easy and delicious!   If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this dip.  Just make sure to chop everything finely and give it a good whipping with a whisk or electric mixer/beaters.

I hope you will give it a try and pop on over to accordingtocarey.com to tell me about it!

LEMON-DILL BAKED RICOTTA

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup cream cheese

1 small to medium garlic clove, chopped

1 loose Tablespoon chopped dill

1 green onion, green and white parts

Zest of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper, about 1/8 teaspoon

Olive oil to drizzle, about 2 teaspoons

Preheat oven to 375⁰.  In the bowl of a small food processor combine the ricotta, cream cheese, garlic, dill, green onion, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Pulse for about 1 minute.

Transfer mixture to an 8 oz. ramekin that has been lightly greased with butter.  Place the ramekin on a baking sheet lined with foil.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until mixture begins to lightly brown on the top and along the edges.

Serve warm with pita chips, crostini or English muffins.

Carey has been blogging for several years and currently blogs at accordingtocarey.com where she shares about food, family… and squirrels.  You can also find her musings on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.