📋 Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip (Weight Watchers) Recipe
This Healthy Spinach and Artichoke Dip is a lightened-up copycat version of Joey's restaurant made on the stovetop. Using frozen spinach, low-fat parmesan and light Monterey jack cheese, non-fat Greek yogurt, and sour cream (no cream cheese and no mayo), it's a delicious Weight Watchers friendly dip at a fraction of the calories.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 120kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoon butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup 1% milk
- 1 cup non- fat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup light grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon non-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup light grated Monterey cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 10 drops Tabasco sauce
- 300 g -pkg of frozen spinach thawed and squeezed to remove excess water
- 1 cup artichokes, canned or jarred drained and coarsely chopped (rinse them if you are using canned)
- 1 tsp agave syrup *can substitute 2 teaspoon honey
Garnish (optional)
- additional parmesan cheese, sprinkled
- lemon zest
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, with onion, garlic and salt, Cook and stir until the onions become translucent and softened, approximately 3-4 minutes.1.5 tablespoon butter, ½ onion, diced, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add flour and whisk until the flour is fully incorporated.2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Over low heat, whisk in the milk, one third at a time, making sure the mixture (roux) is smooth before adding the remainder. Once all of the milk has been added, keep whisking to ensure a smooth creamy texture.½ cup 1% milk
- Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove pot from the heat, add remaining ingredients, mix gently but thoroughly.1 cup non- fat Greek yogurt, ¾ cup light grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoon non-fat sour cream, ¼ cup light grated Monterey cheese, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 10 drops Tabasco sauce, 1 cup artichokes, canned or jarred, 1 teaspoon agave syrup, 300 g -pkg of frozen spinach
- Return to element and heat over low until warmed through.
Garnish (optional)
- I love to grate a little lemon zest on it for color and for a bit of zing!lemon zest, additional parmesan cheese, sprinkled
- Serve with warm tortilla chips, cracker and/or veggies. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert Recipe Tips:
- Squeeze the spinach extremely well. Frozen spinach holds a lot of water, and excess moisture will make the dip watery; use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to wring it out completely.
- Keep the heat low when adding dairy. Greek yogurt and sour cream can separate if overheated, so always remove the pot from the heat before stirring them in.
- Whisk the roux thoroughly. Make sure the flour is fully incorporated into the butter before adding milk to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth, creamy base.
- Add the milk gradually. Whisking the milk in one-third at a time helps prevent clumping and creates a silkier texture.
- Use marinated artichoke hearts for more flavor. Jarred artichokes add extra seasoning and depth compared to plain canned versions.
- Chop the artichokes evenly. Uniform pieces ensure every bite has balanced flavor and prevents large chunks from overpowering the dip.
- Grate your own cheese if possible. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect melting and texture.
- Season at the end. Parmesan and Monterey Jack both add salt, so taste the dip before adding extra seasoning.
- Don’t rush the final heating step. Gently warming the dip over low heat keeps it creamy and prevents scorching.
- Thin only if needed. If the dip thickens as it sits, stir in a splash of milk while reheating to loosen it up without changing the flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the potato flesh into a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork. Add the leftover dip. Divide the mixture evenly and spoon it back into the potato shells. Sprinkle with a little Monterey Jack cheese (or you could use another type of cheese if you prefer.)
- Cook the potatoes in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.33cup | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4590IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 1mg
