Happy Friday! I started off my morning with a long walk with Harley. Apparently it’s going to be 100 degrees here today and tomorrow. Yikes, that it pretty damn hot for San Diego! I wanted to burn off some of Harley’s energy before it got too warm. It was gorgeous out this morning, and it always feels good to start off the day with some movement. Winning!
Knowing we’d be tuning in to NFL football last night, I was inspired to make more of an unconventional dinner that coincided with Thursday night game watching.
This dinner brought me back to my college days. I used to waitress right near an Applebee’s, and sometimes after my dinner shift was over, a friend and I would head over there to get some grub. One of my favorite things on their menu was their spinach and artichoke dip, and I remember her and I devouring an order of it, then splitting a brownie sundae.
My creation last night mimicked my beloved late night dinner in college (well, I left out the brownie dessert part!), only it’s a lighter version. I can’t find the serving size for the Applebee’s dip, but the nutrition facts per skillet are as follows: 1500 calories, 100 g fat, 124 g carbs, and 33 g protein. It’s not a very big portion, so I’d say that their dip makes 4 servings.
In contrast, my dip, which makes 8 servings, contains the following: 960 calories, 64 g fat, 52 g carbs and 38 g protein. My recipe has less calories, carbs, and fat, yet more protein (and veggies), and pairs perfectly with watching the game!
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 14- oz can of artichoke hearts in water drained and roughly chopped
- 14- oz package of frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
- 1/2 c light sour cream
- 8- oz package of light cream cheese
- 1/4 c water chestnuts drained and chopped
- 1/2 TBSP avocado oil or other cooking oil
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlics minced
- 2 TBSP minced onion
- 1/4 TSP salt
- 1/8 TSP pepper
- Dash of paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook for about 3 minutes until lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and 3 TBSP of parm cheese in a large bowl. Once done sauteing, add garlic and onion to the mix. Stir in the spinach, water chestnuts, artichoke hearts, salt, pepper, and paprika and mix to combine everything well.
- Spread the dip mixture evenly into a baking dish (I'd use a 6x9 dish if you want the dip really thick, an 8x11 to spread it out more thinly). Add the remaining parm cheese and bake for about 20 minutes, until cheese looks bubbly and dip is heated throughout.
- Serve with your favorite dippers.
Nutrition
I ate mine with red bell pepper slices + whole grain pocket bread pieces and tortilla chips, and it totally hit the spot!
I’m off to get some work done. Have a fabulous weekend!
Hi! Just found your blog today, and this recipe sounds AMAZING! I love planning my meals for the week via what yummy things I find online, so I’m always anxious to add another healthy living blog to my role! Thanks for sharing the recipe, and have a great weekend!
Thanks so much for reading Kristin! I’m about to eat some dip leftovers 🙂