Attention, garlic lovers!

You will die for this creamy white bean garlic dip.

It is the BOMB.

Seriously, I could eat this stuff straight out of the fridge with a spoon.

But alas. Instead I served it alongside some other munchies for a small cocktail hour that Mr. Peaches and I hosted on Saturday night.

Never underestimate the power of a good appetizer plate.

A general rule of thumb that I learned from my mom is to ALWAYS serve some sort of niblets whenever you have people over.

This does NOT mean that you need to slave in the kitchen making feta-stuffed mushrooms or mini-quiches or something completely ridiculous like that.

Some of my favorite no-fuss niblets to serve are hummus or bean dip with baby carrots and pita bread, cheese and sausage with crackers and/or toasted bread, olives, almonds, grapes, and sliced apples.

Chips and good-quality salsa are OK, but only for more casual affairs, and you have to be really careful that your guests don’t drop it all over your carpet. ;)

Prep this dip ahead of time, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and whip it out whenever your buddies come over.

They will gobble it up!

cheers,
p&c

Creamy White Bean Garlic Dip
Recipe from Jenna Weber, PBS Food
Yields about 8 servings

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• 2 whole heads garlic (small/medium)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained, and rinsed
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• For dipping: baby carrots, celery, toasted whole wheat pita bread, and/or pita crackers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice top off garlic (do not peel) and place in a cake pan or small baking dish. Drizzle garlic with about two tablespoons oil and cover dish with foil. Roast for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
3. To make bean dip, carefully squeeze out garlic cloves into a food processor or blender. Add beans, cumin, salt, cumin, lemon juice, a few generous grinds of black pepper, and four tablespoons olive oil. Process until smooth.
4. Serve dip with baby carrots, celery, toasted whole wheat pita bread, and/or pita crackers.