Lightened Hot Four Cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip {Low Calorie, Low Fat}
Make an ooey, gooey, cheesy dip filled with spinach and artichokes. With a special blend of four cheeses, this dip is lower in fat and calories than the original.
I asked a question on my Facebook page asking everyone to tell me their favorite dip, and I would lighten it. By a landslide, Spinach Artichoke Dip won. So as promised, I have lightened it. It is still cheesy , delicious and loaded with spinach and artichokes, but it is without all of the fat and calories. The key when reducing fat is to add flavor. Fat adds flavor to so many dishes. You can’t merely eliminate fat, or you will have a flat tasting dish. Who wants to eat boring tasteless food? That is when I cheat and eat something more satisfying. The key to this dip is the blend of cheeses. Some are for texture, and some are for taste. It’s a dip you can happily serve guests during a big football game or fancy party. They will never know it has been lightened.
What is really amazing about this dip is that it is loaded with vegetables. When most people think of spinach, their mouth probably doesn’t automatically start to water. Now say Spinach Artichoke Dip, and you get a totally different reaction. You will get a chorus of “Yes, please”. It just tickles me pink that the most popular dip is full of vegetables. This dip is “vegetably”. I just love that word. I was at a blog conference and a blogger was talking about zucchini noodles. She was talking about her popular post about making zucchini noodles even though she knew nothing about zucchini. She mentioned that she thought she put up her post in zucchini in season. Then she stops and thinks and says “Is that the way you say it vegetably”. It still makes me laugh. Long live vegetables.
I wasn’t surprised to see Buffalo Chicken Dip and Guacamole as the runner-ups. Luckily I already have these recipes lightened up. You can find the Low Fat Buffalo Chicken Dip here. Check out my Chunky Guacamole dip here. Be careful what you use to dip into these luscious dips. Crackers and chips can add tons of calories. Try vegetables like sliced red pepper and cucumber or bake your own pita chips. You can also use my Sweet & Spicy Jicama and Plantain Chips. Oh they are so good. If you happen to have leftover dip, thin it out with some milk or chicken stock and serve it over pasta. We did that one night. What a delicious dinner that made.
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Print Lightened Hot Four Cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip {Low Calorie, Low Fat}
Author: Christie Daruwalla Recipe type: Appetizers, Dip, Low Fat, Low Calorie
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins
Serves: About 36
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- ½ cup low fat ricotta cheese
- ½ cup 1% fat cottage cheese
- ¼ cup (1 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup northern beans
- ½ cup 2% fat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (2oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Place into a large bowl and stir in spinach and artichokes.
- In a food processor, puree ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, beans and yogurt.
- Add to bowl of spinach and mix well.
- Spray a 1½ quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spoon dip into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the dip is hot and bubbly.
Nutrition Information Serving size: 2 tbsp. Calories: 28 Fat: 1 Saturated fat: 1 Unsaturated fat: 0 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 2 Sugar: 0 Fiber: 0 Protein: 2 Cholesterol: 3
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Happy Healthy Eating,
Christie
But wait, there’s more. Check out these deliciously, low calorie dip recipes:
