Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

The holidays will be quickly upon us and you know what the means. A lot of holiday gatherings and a LOT of food!

I love being with people and what better way to enjoy their company than over a great meal or some tasty appetizers, but sometimes we can get ourselves in “food trouble” if we don’t watch out.

I’ve been following the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating for over five years now, and the holidays are some of the hardest times for me to stay on-plan. There are so many tempting dishes ready to derail me, but this year I’m determined to stay the course.

That’s why I created this Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip. It is something that I can bring to a party and enjoy eating guilt-free because it is 100% on-plan, yet no one else there will know they are eating healthy food. I just love being sneaky like that! 😉

I’ve been bringing this dish to gatherings for over a year and each time I get asked for the recipe. That’s the sign of a winning dish to me! So be a winner at your next gathering and bring this dish along.

I like to use frozen spinach in this dip mainly because it is so much cheaper than fresh spinach. However, if you only have fresh spinach on hand that is perfectly fine to use too. I would NOT suggest using kale or any other green replacement. It is truly made best with spinach.

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Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9″ pie pan or another shallow baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.

In a medium microwaveable bowl, place the frozen spinach with 1/4 c. of water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. If it is still frozen, microwave for another 30 seconds.

Once the spinach has cooled down, transfer to a strainer and press out as much water as possible. You may need to repeat the pressing step a couple of times to really get the water out. If you are using fresh spinach, just make sure that it is chopped finely. It will cook just fine as long as it is in smaller pieces.

In a medium mixing bowl place the cream cheese and beat it with a spoon until it is smooth. Sometimes if it doesn’t want to move very well, I will microwave it for about 20 seconds.

Next, add the mayo, 3 T. of the Parmesan cheese, almond milk, garlic and basil to the cream cheese and beat until it is blended. Stir in the spinach and the drained artichokes and place in the pie pan.

Spread the mixture evenly and sprinkle with the remaining 1 T. of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it is heated through and the edges have slightly browned. Serve with an assortment of vegetables for dipping.

If you do not eat the Trim Healthy Mama way this dip is tasty served with tortilla or pita chips.