This is one of my favorites – good, easy, and it freezes!  I had cooked bacon and chives in the freezer so used that and store bought chopped garlic. Just mixed them in with the rest of the ingredients. I baked it and then reheated it later in the microwave.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bacon, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened (I discovered the “spreadable” cream cheese does not work as well as the block cream cheese — it melts!)
• ½ c heavy cream
• 6 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
• 4 Tbs almonds, chopped
• Crackers or sliced baguette for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat about 8 minutes or until nearly crisp. Drain bacon and wipe skillet dry
3. Return bacon to pan, add garlic and cook over medium heat until bacon is crisp, about 2 minutes. Make sure garlic doesn’t burn.
4. Drain on paper towels
5. Using paddle attachment of electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth
6. Add cream, beat well to mix
7. Fold in bacon, garlic, blue cheese, and chives
8. Transfer to 1 quart baking dish, top evenly with almonds.
9. Bake about 30 minutes or until heated through.
   Serve with crackers, baguette slices or vegetables

Serves: Makes 4 cups, serves 20

Source: Reader’s Digest from Morton’s the Cookbook by Klaus Fritsch

Comments:  I had cooked bacon and chives in the freezer so used that and store-bought chopped garlic. Just mixed them in with the rest of the ingredients. I baked it and then reheated it later in the microwave.