My mom’s retro dip recipe is killer for a holiday party

Back in the day, my mother threw legendary blowout Christmas parties. Cars parked way down the block. The house got loud and as packed as a basketball game at the Y. We sang carols. A crazy, slightly dangerous pinata kid party played out in the garage. Santa showed up, people ate an entire ham, and teenagers totally sneaked the adult eggnog. No party was complete without her famous hot and spicy parmesan-jalapeno artichoke dip, creamy and mouth-tinglingly delicious as a jalapeno popper. But better, because it involved chips. And she didn’t have a lot of time, so this magic dip came together quick and easy.

This recipe isn’t special to Alaska, except in the way it relies on lots of pantry ingredients. The dip comes right out of the early- to mid-century moment in cooking when brands were running lots of recipes in the newspaper on the “women’s page.” Versions of this recipe in Alaska’s old community cookbooks call for Best Foods mayonnaise specifically, and some do not include sour cream or cream cheese, so it was easier to make them without any fresh ingredients. Honestly, they are not wrong about Best Foods. It’s great here. Also: Hot mayonnaise-based dip is magic. I stand by that.

But, speaking into the dietary concerns of the now, you could lighten this dip up a bit if you want. Sure, sub in lowfat cream cheese and, if you really want to, nonfat Greek yogurt. You can also use a clove of crushed garlic and some sea salt in place of the garlic salt. This dip fills an 8-by-8 square pan, though we always used an oval stoneware baking dish. A half-can of jalapenos seems to be tolerable for the sensitive people in my family, but you can increase it if you want more heat. You will have to adjust your baking time a little depending on your dish size and depth, so watch it after 20 minutes in the oven. Don’t forget the broil. It’s essential!

Sheila Selkregg’s hot artichoke party dip

Ingredients:

8 ounces non-marinated canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise, Best Foods brand preferred

4 ounces canned, chopped green chiles, drained

2 to 4 ounces canned, drained, chopped jalapenos, depending on desired heat level

1 1/4 cups + 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic salt

Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until well combined. Spread into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with reserved parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is bubbling around the sides. Then, turn the oven to broil and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or sliced baguette.