Parmesan and Artichoke Puffs

With Halloween behind us, the "holiday season" is officially here!  Thanksgiving is amazing because it has all the warm-fuzzies of the "The Holidays" without the pressure of Christmas Perfection.  {Am I the only one who struggles with that?}  Plus, my family staunchly supports the idea of a food-based holiday.  Sure, we take time to reflect on the things for which we are grateful -- our family and friends -- and we make a concerted to spend time with them, renewing our loving bonds, but NO get-together with family and friends in November {of all months} would be complete without delicious food, amIright?! 

We usually end up in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving with many, if not all, of my siblings and their families.  It is a non-stop four day fun fest of baking and eating, intermingled with card games and football.  Best. Holiday. Ever.  We usually make a lot of the same foods every year, because . . . tradition and all that . . . but it is fun to switch it up and add a new twist on an old favorite once in a while.  This year I've taken my aunt's recipe for Artichoke Dip from our well-loved family cookbook and given it a simple little makeover with crescent dough sheets.  These Parmesan and Artichoke Puffs would be a perfect appetizer for any holiday get-together!


I love a recipe that seems fancy, but doesn't require any special or weird ingredients.  There are two different ways you can make these Parmesan and Artichoke Puffs -- as cups or as bundles. 

The cups get a nice crispiness to the crescent dough, which is a little more similar to the pita chips or crackers we usually use to eat the dip.  I also like the browning of the cheese in the filling.  Yummy!

The bundles are softer and a little more moist and bread-like.  My family prefers the bundles, but both kinds got gobbled right up!

Parmesan and Artichoke Puffs

(makes 30 puffs)

4 oz. cream cheese
4 Tbsp. minced onion
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheet 

Preheat oven to 375*.

FILLING: Combine all ingredients (except crescent dough) in medium bowl and mash together.  I like to use my KitchenAid mixer for this.  You want the artichoke hearts to be broken up into bite-size pieces, however you choose to mix it.

Roll out Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheet slightly -- don't make it too thin.  Aim for a uniform thickness of approx. 1/8" throughout.  Cut sheets into approx. 3" squares -- you should get 15 squares per sheet.

FOR CUPS:  Spray mini-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Place each square of dough into the mini-muffin tin, forming a small cup.  Don't be too careful here -- edges and corners will likely overhang the cup, as shown in the photo below.  Once you have formed cups with the Pillsbury Crescent Dough, fill each cup with a heaping tablespoon of the filling.  

FOR BUNDLES:  Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each square of dough.  Form a bundle by pulling all four corners up into the center and pinching seams to seal.  Place bundles on a baking sheet.

Bake at 375* for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.  Serve warm.

Look at that cheesy goodness!  

Dip Version:  Follow directions for the filling above.  Place filling in a small casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and warmed throughout. 

Happy Holiday Baking, friends! 

Amy