This is a GREAT recipe, delicious flavors. It makes a ton of dip. It's not really a dip, but more of a layered "torte" of cheese, pesto, sundried tomatoes, etc. I made it for a Christmas gathering, and even with 15 guests, I still had quite a bit left over. I would suggest lining your serving plate with basil leaves so that they peek out from under the dip. Great presentation! Make sure to serve with crackers that are not salty. A toasted Italian bread or a sturdy water cracker works well.
This was very good and enjoyed by our guests. The only changes I made in the preparation was that I put the sundried tomatoes in the food processor. I do not care for them in chunks and it really spread more easily. I also put this in a small 4" springform pan. I did line it with plastic and it was so easy to present and looked beautiful. I was asked for the recipe and I will certainly make it again....oh, I used vodka too.
Absolutely the best dip ever! I made it for a holiday party this past weekend - everyone loved it AND many asked me for the recipe~! I did make a few changes based on other reviews.
First off I made my own pesto sauce from this recipe off the site: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pesto-Sauce/Detail.aspx - I halved the amount, used pine nuts and didn't add much salt which I think is really what made the dip as a whole good because I think store bought pesto is much saltier and the dip is already very flavorful on its own. For the dip, I also halved the recipe, still made a lot good for 15-20 people. Used a creamy feta, fresh cream cheese from a cheese market. Used about 1 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes in jar in oil - but made sure to drain as much oil as possible. Used all the pesto which was about 1 1/2 cup, again try to leave out oily parts. I added more tomatoes and pesto because other reviews stated there was too much cheese mixture, and it's true. So I just made the dip as I wanted and added more of the other layers. Best served with whole wheat pita or baguettes and make sure you place them on a separate plate because the dip will still be a bit oily on the bottom. WONDERFUL DIP!!
This spread is delicious and unique. It truly is much more colorful than this photo depicts. Couple of tips...I've gotten the best reviews when I serve the spread with slices of baguette bread. The flavor is simply too overwhelming for a cracker in my opinion. The bread slice stands up to the texture and flavors quite nicely and it makes the perfect two-bite appetizer. This recipe goes a LONG way as it's quite rich. I agree with those who say leave the butter in. The texture would change too much without it. I have found, however, that I need to soak up some of the oil that leeches out of the spread from the pesto and sundried tomatoes. It looks nicer if you clean it up a bit once it's set. You won't have to worry how it looks for long, however, because it will be GONE! Great recipe.
I used my large mixer with a wire beater instead of my tiny processor. This recipe makes a large amount that my processor cannot accomodate. Came out wonderfully. Next time I'll double the amount of tomatoes and nuts and increase the pesto to 1 c. since there is so much cheese mixture. Let it come to room temperature before eating, otherwise it will be crumbly. This is a wonderful recipe for entertaining.
This dip is raved over everytime. I served it at a dinner party and between 8 people the entire recipe was gone (that is a LOT of dip!). I've been asked to make it several times since. What is especially impressive is that since things are whipped together in the food processor all of the flavors melt together beautifully and no one knows what makes them love it so much! If I paid top dollar for this at a restaurant I would not be disappointed.
Excellent! I am eating it as I write (and my husband is wrapping presents in the garage!) I would do three things differently next time. 1) Pulverize the sun-dried tomotoes in the food processor into smaller pieces. 2) Drain and mop up as much oil from both the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes as possible. 3) Split it in two. You could easily make this is two smaller molds and freeze one for later. It is very good!
My sister made this for a party and people could not stop talking about how delicious this "dip" was. (It's actually more like a spread for crackers.) She halved the recipe for the amount of people attending and it was more than sufficient. The presentation is spectacular not to mention how wonderful the ingredients taste together. Simply outstanding!
Excellent. I will definitely make this again. I omitted the butter and added extra cream cheese.
This was pretty good but not great. A good combination of ingredients but perhaps in the wrong proportions. Chopping all those sundried tomatoes was too much work for the outcome. The garlic overpowered the feta. I'm a big garlic fan but one small clove would have been more than plenty. The oil in the pesto I used had separated and I made the mistake of stirring it back in before using it. I should have drained off the oil instead. The oil kind of drained down and sat there on the plate after the dip had come up to room temperature. I don't think I'll make this again.
