Baked Artichoke And Cheese Dip - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 c. coarsely chopped red pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
French bread or crackers

Preparation

Heat oven to 375\u00b0. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter until sizzling; stir in onion, red pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisply tender, 1 to 2 minutes. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter; stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly, 30 seconds. Stir in milk. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese, Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, artichoke hearts, pepper and lemon peel. Stir cheese mixture into sauted vegetables. Pour into shallow 1 1/2-quart ovenproof casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Serve with French bread or crackers.