This sweet and savory Baked Ricotta Dip is a warm appetizer perfect for holiday parties or as a fancy football food. Fresh figs, toasty pistachios, sweet preserves, and fresh herbs and spices swim in a sea of melty cheese that’s deliciously scoopable with a thick, crusty baguette.
Are you ready for some football?!?
I could care less about football games, but football food is my jam! Especially when the recipe includes jam...well, preserves, in this case.
Much like my Cranberry Orange Baked Brie Dip, this Baked Ricotta Dip is sweet and savory and full of fun fall flavors.
Baked Ricotta
I’m a huge fan of baked ricotta, and I often mix it with fresh basil, cover it with marinara and mozzarella, bake it, and eat it with a spoon. It’s my cheap version of a low-carb pizza or lasagna.
I’m also a huge fan of the flavors of cheese and fruit, and it just so happens my favorite pizza is loaded with sausage, figs, preserves, and a plethora of cheeses.
While staring into the depths of my fridge trying to concoct a recipe for the fresh figs I had just purchased, I spied the ricotta and the jar of fig preserves, and this sinfully delicious idea for sweet and savory baked ricotta was born!
Football Food
Everyone knows dips are the most well loved of all the football foods and cheese dips are definitely the number one stunner.
With cheese dips though, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut or wind up bringing the exact same dip as your next-door neighbor, Karen, but I can guarantee Karen won’t be bringing this baked ricotta dip to the shindig. Until she gives it a taste, of course, and then she’ll want the recipe for herself.
Easy Baked Ricotta Dip
The ease of this baked ricotta dish is really what you’re going to love, and it takes nothing more than mixing the ingredients together in a big ole bowl, adding in the seasoning and aromatics, spreading the cheese into a casserole dish and throwing it into the oven to bake until bubbly.
While the baked ricotta dip is cooking, slice up a baguette, spread the slices onto a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, then throw them into the oven to crisp up while the cheese dip cools.
Baked Ricotta Dip with Figs and Pistachios
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese 1 (15 oz) container
- ⅔ cup Shredded mozzarella cheese + more for sprinkling the top
- ⅓ cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling the top
- 1 clove fresh garlic grated or finely minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- zest and juice of half a lemon
- ⅓ cup fig preserves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 fresh figs thinly sliced
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios finely chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large baguette sliced and toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F) and spritz an 8” baking dish with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Set Aside.
- Mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, rosemary, parsley, lemon zest and juice in a large mixing bowl until well combined then spread the ricotta mixture in an even layer in the baking dish.
- Drop dollops or large drizzles of the fig preserves onto the ricotta dip then use a butter knife to swirl the preserves into the cheese. Add an extra sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan to the top of the ricotta dip then top with sliced figs and chopped pistachios. Add a drizzle of olive oil on the top then bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Serve warm with the slices of toasted baguette.
Ash Cooper says
Has anyone tried this in a crock pot?
Amber says
Not that I know of, but please let me know if you try it!