Baked Layered Italian Spread

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated asiago cheese
• 1/3 cup pesto sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon minced roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup minced roasted red pepper (from the jar is fine)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parma ham or 2 tablespoons prosciutto (omit if making vegetarian style)
• 1/4 cup cooked small beans
• 1/3 cup chopped black olives or 1/3 cup green olives (your choice)
• 1/3 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 tablespoon minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 in a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, parmesan, and asagio; spread into the bottom of a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish.
• 3 mix together the pesto and roasted garlic; spread in a layer over the cheeses on the dish.
• 4 spread the shredded mozzarella over the pesto layer, then sprinkle with the roasted red pepper.
• 5 mix together the parma ham or prosciutto and the cooked beans; set aside.
• 6 to arrange the last layer, mentally divide the contents of the dish into three equal"pie slice" shaped sections, then: (1) over one section, arrange the black or green olives, (2) over another section, arrange the artichoke hearts, (3) and over another layer the parma and bean mixture.
• 7 sprinkle the entire dish with the onion and parsley, and bake in a 350 degree f oven for 20 minutes and it's bubbly.
• 8 remove from oven and serve hot with dippers such as endive leaves or thin slices of toasted italian bread.
• 9 notes: you can leave out the parma ham if you want it to be vegetarian; also, this can be made up ahead of time and reheated, if necessary.