Baked Layered Italian Spread

A rich, savory cheese spread featuring the tastes of Italy, warm and comforting!

Ingredients

 * 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
 * ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
 * 2 tablespoons grated asiago cheese
 * ⅓ cup pesto sauce
 * ½ teaspoon minced roasted garlic
 * ½ cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
 * ¼ cup minced roasted red peppers (from the jar is fine)
 * 2 tablespoons chopped Parma ham or prosciutto (omit if making vegetarian style)
 * ¼ cup cooked small white beans
 * ⅓ cup chopped black olives or green olives (your choice)
 * ⅓ cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
 * 1 tablespoon minced red onions
 * 1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350 °F.
 * 2) In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, Parmesan, and asagio; spread into the bottom of a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish.
 * 3) Mix together the pesto and roasted garlic; spread in a layer over the cheeses on the dish.
 * 4) Spread the shredded mozzarella over the pesto layer, then sprinkle with the roasted red pepper.
 * 5) Mix together the Parma ham or prosciutto and the cooked white beans; set aside.
 * 6) To arrange the last layer, mentally divide the contents of the dish into three equal"pie slice" shaped sections, then:
 * 7) Over one section, arrange the black or green olives,
 * 8) Over another section, arrange the artichoke hearts,
 * 9) And over another layer the Parma and bean mixture.
 * 10) Sprinkle the entire dish with the onion and parsley, and bake in a 350 °F oven for 20 minutes and it's bubbly.
 * 11) Remove from oven and serve hot with dippers such as endive leaves or thin slices of toasted Italian bread.
 * 12) Note: you can leave out the Parma ham if you want it to be vegetarian; also, this can be made up ahead of time and reheated, if necessary.