Shrimp Scampi Dip

I posted last week about the amazing Poolside Corn Dip my mom and I whipped up for my in-laws' visit to our family lake house. Along with that one, we made delicious Shrimp Scamp Dip which I've been dying to make ever since I 'pinned' it over a year ago!

It's cheesy, creamy, and... garlicky, so make sure you have some breath mints on hand. It's a heaver dip, perfect for a filling afternoon snack or heavy hor d'oeuvres with cocktails or wine.

Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi Dip:

3 tablespoons of butter
8 ounces of raw shrimp, peeled & deveined & chopped into smaller pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup plain of Greek yogurt
1½ cups of shredded Italian cheese blend
¼ cup of marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped

The author of the recipe suggested using regular cream cheese instead of low-fat since low-fat can sometimes add more liquid to the recipe and make it thinner. I will be honest and say that we should've done that. Ours was a tad bit thin, but at least it was less calories...

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (I used nonstick cooking spray) two 3 ounce or one 6 ounce ramekin or oven safe baking dish.

2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shrimp, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and the garlic is fragrant (about 5 minutes).

3. In a medium bowl stir together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and Greek yogurt. Add the shrimp, garlic, butter mixture, scraping the pan to get all the buttery garlic bits.