Healthy Hot Artichoke Dip is Perfect for Game Day and Parties

When we're invited to a party where we're asked to bring a dish to share I use it as an opportunity to bring a tasty healthy snack, side dish, dessert, or salad that I feel good about eating. Many parties have food that is packed with fat, preservatives, HFCS, sodium, and who knows what else! The idea is to bring something that is both healthy and flavorful.

The Hot Artichoke Dip is one of those tasty and healthy treats. I served it last year at a jewelry party that I hosted and it was very popular! So today, we're heading to a friend's house to watch a football game and I'm bringing this to share. Traditional artichoke dips are filled with high fat items like cheese, mayo, and whole milk sour cream.

This version uses white beans to thicken the dip and add flavor. The combination of the beans and artichokes make this a high-fiber snack! Using Parmesan cheese, you don't have to use as much as other milder cheeses since it has a deep flavor. The best thing is there is NO chopping! You can make this with the food processor. It's very quick and you can pop it right into the oven when you arrive at the party.

Hot Artichoke Dip from Cooking Light Dec. 2005
Serve with cut veggies (cucumbers, carrots, celery, cauliflower) and pita chips or crackers.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups reduced fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional (*I do this to boost the lemon flavor)
  
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (*my addition)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, rinsed drained and divided
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; add 1 can of artichokes and beans. Process until smooth. Add remaining can of artichokes, 3/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, and garlic. Pulse 20 times or until artichokes are coarsely chopped.
• Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
  

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1/3 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 98(37% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 2.2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 5.8g; CHOLESTEROL 9mg; CALCIUM 108mg; SODIUM 488mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 0.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.3g