Hot Spinach Dip

Hot creamy dips are real crowd-pleasers, and this hot spinach dip does not disappoint! It's a fast and easy recipe that can be made a few days in advance; just pop it into the oven 30 minutes before your guests arrive and your kitchen will be filled with a delicious, warm smell. It has all the creamy goodness of traditional spinach dip, but is lightened a bit by substituting low-fat mayo, cream cheese and Greek yogurt for the usual full-fat versions.

Although this dip is cream cheese based, it freezes surprisingly well. I often double the recipe and freeze half (unbaked) so I have a delicious dip on hand for impromptu holiday entertaining.

Ingredients

• 2 boxes (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 oz. Neufchatel, low-fat or dairy-free cream cheese, softened
• 6 oz. plain Greek yogurt (fat free or non-dairy work too)
• 1/2 C. mayonnaise (low-fat works well)
• 1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese (non-dairy works), packed
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. Sriracha (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. (or a pinch) ground nutmeg
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce (make sure it's gluten-free if needed and does not have malt vinegar)
• 2 scallions, chopped (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese, yogurt, mayo and Parmesan in food processor. Blend until smooth. Add onion, garlic, salt, Sriracha, pepper, nutmeg and Worcestershire and pulse until combined, leaving some texture to the mixture. Add spinach and pulse until well incorporated into the mixture. Transfer mixture to 6” souffle or casserole dish. (At this point you can refrigerate the uncooked mixture for up to 2 days).
• Bake dip in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until warm and bubbly. Garnish with chopped scallions, if using. Serve immediately.

*Note: Squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as possible to get it completely dry.