Super Cheesy Kale & Artichoke Dip
PIN IT!This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Frozen Food Foundation for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
It’s November 6th and I’ve already watched every single Christmas movie on the free section of our On Demand programming and have watched almost every one on HBO & Shotime. Much to my husband’s dismay, of course, because he’s a firm believer in no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Not that he doesn’t have any holiday spirit, but he likes a little downtime between holidays and we did Halloween BIG this year.
I get it, I love a little downtime too, but I’m really ready for the holiday season this year. I had a really hard year, full of stress, weight gain, financial burdens and more arguments with my husband than I’d like. I’m ready for a few months of happiness, a few months where you spend your time buying gifts for your loved ones, decorating your house with bright lights and festive garlands.
Truthfully though, I’m just ready to spend some serious time with my family. I’m lucky, you know. I have the world’s best family. I know everyone says that, but I really do. Our time together is what gets me through those hard months in between. We laugh constantly, we eat & drink too much, play games and make jokes. There’s very little drama, no hateful words or snide remarks. We’re all just so happy to be together that nothing else matters.
I need that right now.
The best part about the holidays is the Christmas Eve party my grandma throws. My mom spends all day cooking a giant beef roast, a ham, three kinds of salads, multiple cheesy dips and bite-size little hors devours. Helping her whip the potatoes and stir the spinach artichoke dip has become one of my favorite memories. I only get to spend a few days a year with her in the kitchen, so I savor each and every second (and every single bite I sneak).
This super cheesy kale & artichoke dip is inspired by the one she makes, but is clearly not as good. I don’t know what she puts in hers to make it taste so incredibly good. Don’t get me wrong though, this dip is amazing and it’s made with frozen kale, which I can’t get enough of. In fact, a study down by the University of California Davis and the Frozen Food Foundation found that frozen vegetables (like my beloved kale) are more often nutritionaly equal to, and sometimes better than, their fresh counterparts. Which rocks when your favorite veggies are out of season. Plus most frozen veggies are loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals like B2, C and E, plus lots of calcium, zinc, copper and dietary fiber.
For the nearly 90% of Americans who don’t get enough vegetables in their diet, this dip is the perfect way to enjoy them this holiday season. Just ask my friend Melanie how good this dip is. She came over last Sunday and the two of us nearly polished off this dish over a Lifetime movie marathon.
Super Cheesy Kale & Artichoke Dip
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Serves about 10. Inspired by My Recipes.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 22 – 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 can (11 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 block (10 ounces) frozen kale, thawed
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup low-fat Mayo
- 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) low-fat cream cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Chop the artichoke hearts. In a large bowl, mix the artichoke, spinach and onion together. Mix in the mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Mx in salt and pepper.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 22 – 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and dip is warm.
Nutritional information per serving (about 4 tablespoons):
Calories: 95.1
Fat: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.7 grams
Fiber: 2.7 grams
Protein: 6.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 2
Be sure to check out the Frozen Food Foundation Facebook page and Frozen Food Foundation Twitter for more information!
I love this dip, it's so cheesy. I just want to grab a spoon and eat it like soup. ha