Who can resist the temptation of hot spinach and artichoke dip? It’s a crowd favorite for sure. This recipe lightens things up quite a bit by using cottage cheese in place of cream cheese, making it lower in fat and boosting the protein content. It still provides that great flavor and cheesy, gooey goodness. You won’t even notice the cottage cheese! Try this at your next gathering.
Ingredients:
1 16-ounce container of 1% fat cottage cheese
1 10-ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
1 14-ounce can of quartered Artichoke hearts, drained of liquid
1 8-ounce can of water chestnuts, diced
3/4 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Teaspoon dried parsley or ½ tsp fresh parsley
2 Teaspoons garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with non-stick spray. In a food processor, or blender, process the cottage cheese until smooth. Place cottage cheese in a medium size bowl. Add the frozen, drained spinach, drained artichoke hearts, diced water chestnuts and mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Stir gently to combine. Add all the seasonings and stir until well mixed. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbling.
Serve warm alongside toasted pita triangles, whole grain crackers or carrot and celery sticks (or vegetables of your choice).
Content submitted by Janyce Gately – MS, RD, LDN, CHWC