Dips are an easy, crowd-pleasing party food, but the problem is they usually aren’t good for you – full of fat, calories and salt. So we took a two of our favorite dips, and cut out more than 40% of the fat. They’re still super tasty – and there’s a good chance your guests won’t even know the difference!
Both of these can be eaten with crudites or, for a little splurge, some pita chips.
Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat)
- 1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 9-oz package frozen artichoke hearts – defrosted, rinsed and dried
- 1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach – defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (1/3 the fat of regular cream cheese)
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat
- Add onions and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In food processor, combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Add onion-garlic mixture (cooled) to the food processor and pulse a few times to thoroughly combine.
- Lightly spray (with cooking spray) an 8-inch glass square baking dish and transfer mixture to it
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes
- Serve!
Makes 12 servings
Per serving (dip only): 100 calories, 7 g fat, 5 g carbs, 4 g protein, 202 g salt, 1 g sugar
Creamy White Bean Dip
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup reduced-fat, 2% cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- One 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch smoked paprika (1/4 tsp or less)
- Chopped chives or fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation:
- Combine cottage cheese, apple cider vinegar, thyme, cannellini beans, salt and pepper in a food processor.
- Puree until smooth.
- Chill 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with smoked paprika and top with fresh parsley or chopped chives
Makes 12 servings
Per serving (dip only): 51 calories, 1 g fat, 7 g carbs, 4 g protein, 127 g salt, 0 g sugar
