Half Guilt Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach artichoke dip is everywhere - and with good warm creamy reason. I find myself trepidatiously singing the praises of this traditional appetizer. Many restaurants load up the full fat cheeses, oils and additives in this dish. As a life long dieter, there is almost no place I would order spinach artichoke dip without feeling guilty. So I wanted to share a version of the dish with you all that you can feel good about eating at about 220 calories per half a cup serving - that's compared to popular restaurants such as Applebees with over 1500 calories per serving!

Since you know I love recipes that can do double duty - this one is no exception. I use this as an alternative to mayonnaise on a sandwich or as a filling in a baked sweet potato for a quick dinner.

Ingredients:

10 oz. frozen spinach (1 block)

1 can artichoke hearts (in water)

6 oz. fat free cream cheese or tofutti

¼ c. reduced fat sour cream (or vegan sour cream)

1 c. shredded cheese (preferably gruyere or swiss, can sub vegan)

¼ c. (vegan) parmesan

4-6 cloves of roasted garlic

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

2.       Wrap garlic in foil and heat for 30 minutes.

3.       Chop garlic and artichoke hearts.

4.       Defrost spinach in microwave and press through a strainer to eliminate excess water.

5.       Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

6.       Grease a dish and bake dip for 40 minutes until brown and bubbly on top.

7.       Enjoy with pita, veggies, or on a sandwich instead of mayo.

***inspiration provided by Annie Eats http://annies-eats.com/