Taste Tested Tuesday: Spinach Artichoke Dip
Posted by AndreaWeird food cravings sometimes overtake me. Honestly, if I told you about some of the foods I crave, you’d wonder if I was expecting. Just for the record…I’m not.
Over the weekend, I had a strong craving for spinach artichoke dip so I had to make some. This dip is a creamy classic, but is often packed with tons of fat and calories. Though ingredients such as cream cheese and sour cream make the dip delectable, over consumption of these same ingredients can clog arteries and add inches to the waistline.
After finding several calorie laden recipes for spinach artichoke dip, I decided to rework a few of the recipes to see if I could create a more healthful version. My version is still creamy, but uses lower fat ingredients. JT could not tell lesser fat ingredients had been substituted for full fat ingredients.
The holiday season is here and you’ll probably find yourself hosting a few guests between now and the new year. Consider serving a new great dip this season. Save the onion dip for the kids and offer the adults a more mature dip for their crudite.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
1-2 dashes hot sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
14-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped
7 ounce jar roasted red peppers
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly coat a baking dish with nonstick spray.
In the blender, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce and lemon juice. Pour mixture into a medium size bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gently stir in the artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, spinach, mozzarella cheese, and Monterrey Jack cheese.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Uh oh… this dip is truly a favorite. You’re tempting me. I usually buy the Costco version, but your recipe looks excellent. Must think about this one for Christmas… :~D
Have a Happy Thanksgiving Andrea!