Serve Baked Ricotta for a Simple Appetizer

There are a few things that are always, always bad ideas:

1. Going to the DMV without an appointment.
2. Forgetting your grandmothers birthday.
3. Barking at people out of pure hanger (anger meets hunger).

To avoid the latter from happening, I always recommend having an Thanksgiving appetizer on deck. This recipe can be made ahead so you can just pop it in the oven (with the turkey if need be) to warm it throughout and melt the cheese on top.

The trick to this dish is adding a bit of the ricotta, along with a bit of whey or water, to the food processor to make it super creamy. The remaining ricotta is mixed with the whipped ricotta creating a perfect, not-too-creamy texture.  Its spiked with a good amount of lemon zest, crushed red pepper, Parmesan-Reggiano for good measure. I recommend scooping it onto warm slices of bread or simple crackers. I say this is good enough for about 6 people. People will want more. They may say its not enough, but thats okbecause the real meal is to come.

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She's a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.