Creamy sardine and artichoke dip

Creamy, tangy, rich and full of goodness, I whipped up this sardine and artichoke spread for a delicious and nutritious snack that also happens to get more fish into my kiddo’s diet.

Sardine dip

When I dip, you dip, we dip.

You feeling it? No? Okay, fine. Let me get straight to the point here.

I made this dip because my friend Ashley over at Vibrantly Healthy Kids said I needed to get more fish into my kids’ diet ASAP. My daughter used to LOVE salmon. Like, it was her favorite food that she couldn’t get enough of. Maybe I overdid it, or maybe she's just going through that weird (read: annoying) picky toddler stage, but I haven’t been able to feed her salmon without a fight in months.  

Our other fish options are limited. Tilapia is okay, but I find it pretty bland. And because every other fish is high in mercury or something or other, Ashley suggested sardines as the next best superfood option.

Apparently, her kids eat sardines whole on crackers. Tried that. It definitely didn’t work. So, I chopped some up and added it to pasta. That worked better. But then I discovered an entire tub of creme fraiche in my fridge from a recent cooking event and that was it — inspiration struck.

Dips are awesome because they are so versatile. You can have dip at any point throughout the day. You can slather it on crackers, serve it up to guests or spoon it straight into your mouth for a much needed midnight pregnancy snack (which I may or may not have done).

This dip is a breeze to whip up, though it does require the oven to get that gorgeous roasted garlic. I won’t blame you if you decide to skip the roasting step, but it does add a whole other layer of awesomeness. Best part, my babes ate it up!

I would love to hear if you try it, as well as any recommendations for how else I can get my kiddo to eat more of the fishies.

Sardine dip ingredients
Sardine spread and crackers

COOKING NOTES

Roasting the garlic is the only real cooking step here. Sorry to not make this as simple as earthly possible, but it really does boost the flavor. Feel free to add a little more oil, water or lemon juice to get a smoother consistency.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 35 mins

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 head of garlic
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 sardine fillets
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups creme fraiche (or greek yogurt)
¼ cup marinated artichoke hearts
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Cut off the very top portion of the garlic bulb (about ½ inch) so that all of the individual cloves are exposed. Place the garlic in a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 teaspoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic in the aluminum foil and seal.
  3. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the garlic is tender throughout. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  4. Once the garlic has cooled, squeeze out each individual clove into a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, minus the parsley, and blend until smooth mostly smooth. Then add the parsley and pulse until just incorporated.
  5. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve on crackers, toast, or whatever else suits your fancy.