Light and Creamy Hot Spinach Dip
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 10, 2011
Yield
Serves 12 (Makes 4 cups)
Ingredients
<B>Topping</b>
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese<B>Creamy Base</b>
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine1 (16-ounce) package frozen spinach 2 cloves garlic, minced2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese ¼ cup low-fat sour cream 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped parsley ½ teaspoon cayenne pepperInstructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- For the topping: Process bread and cheese in food processor until finely ground, about 15 seconds.
- For the base: Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add frozen spinach and cook until defrosted and liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pulse cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, Parmesan, remaining lemon juice, parsley, and cayenne with prepared spinach mixture until coarsely chopped, about ten 1-second pulses. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape mixture into prepared dish. (Dip can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring back to room temperature before baking.)
- Sprinkle topping over dip and lightly spray crumbs with cooking spray. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve.
Yield
Serves 12 (Makes 4 cups)Ingredients
<B>Topping</b>
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
<B>Creamy Base</b>
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) package frozen spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ingredients
<B>Topping</b>
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
<B>Creamy Base</b>
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) package frozen spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ingredients
<B>Topping</b>
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
<B>Creamy Base</b>
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) package frozen spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Why This Recipe Works
We developed our Light and Creamy Hot Spinach Dip recipe with all the flavor of the original, but only a fraction of the calories and cholesterol. To start, we substituted light cream cheese, low-fat sour cream, and low-fat cheddar cheese for the full-fat originals. We pumped up the seasonings and added deep-flavored Parmesan cheese to compensate for the missing fat. Finally, we finished our Light and Creamy Hot Spinach Dip with fresh bread crumbs for the crispest texture.
Traditional hot spinach dip has 233 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 7 grams of saturated fat per 1/3-cup serving. Our Light and Creamy Hot Spinach Dip has 100 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 3 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- For the topping: Process bread and cheese in food processor until finely ground, about 15 seconds.
- For the base: Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add frozen spinach and cook until defrosted and liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pulse cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, Parmesan, remaining lemon juice, parsley, and cayenne with prepared spinach mixture until coarsely chopped, about ten 1-second pulses. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape mixture into prepared dish. (Dip can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring back to room temperature before baking.)
- Sprinkle topping over dip and lightly spray crumbs with cooking spray. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve.
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