Hot & Melty Skinny Kale Artichoke Dip
I’ve made you a party dip!
And it’s totally worth celebrating.
Are you planning on hosting an Oscar’s fête this weekend, or attending a friend’s soirée? My guess is if you’re fabulous and fun and just the slightest bit judgmental (which I’m pretty sure sums up all you lovely readers), then YES! You are most definitely partying this Sunday, and this dip needs to be a part of it.
So, what’s my annual Oscar’s tradition?
I go home to Long Island and watch it with my grandma.
I KNOW.
I’m so cute and sweet and adorable, who would have thought?
But for reals, my gma and I have had this ritual for years and it’s always such a good time. She stuffs me with crazy amounts of food, we debate who looks like a hooker vs. who is undeniably glamorous, decide whether we like the host, fawn over Meryl, and inevitably complain the show is running too long. It’s a lot of fun, and I hope we keep doing it for a long time.
But the biggest difference this year? I’m bringing some food with me, and it’s gonna be this dip.
Spinach artichoke dip is a pretty classic party dip, but since spinach is so last season and kale is SO NOW, swapping the two seemed obvious. But where I went truly rogue was with my preparation and skinny-fied ingredients, which definitely takes this dip from nominee to straight-up winner.
First, instead of heating in the microwave I baked this in the oven, and the taste difference is HUGE. Oven prepped dishes just always seem to have better flavor, texture, and consistent temperatures, and this dip was no exception. Baking means this dip takes a bit longer, but not that much longer, and the extra time is totally worth it anyway. Plus! Since I mash up all my ingredients in the food processor before baking, you can prep this a day in advance. And that means more champagne, less time in the kitchen, and happiness everywhere.
As for the ingredients? I made a few switches that were seriously key. Obv I swapped spinach for kale, but I also nixed sour cream in favor of greek yogurt, enlisted fat free cream cheese, amp’d up the flavor with lemon juice and garlic, and showered this baby with a thick ‘ole layer of part-skim mozzarella.
Which means?
This dip is lightened up AND has three cheeses, so standing ovation for me!
Hot & Melty Skinny Kale Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
- 5-6 oz Kale Greens
- 6 oz Marinated Artichoke Hearts, in Oil + 2 tsps artichoke Oil (I used Victoria’s) >> See footnote
- 1/2 cup Diced Yellow Onion
- 1 cup Fat Free Cream Cheese
- 3/4 cup Shredded Parmesan
- 1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt
- 1 1/2 tbsps Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt & Coarse Black Peppercorn – approx.
- 1 1/4 cups Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella
- Sliced French Bread, Crackers or Pretzels for dipping
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In food processor combine all ingredients except for the mozzarella, pulsing until desired texture is achieved. (I pulsed my dip for 1-2 minutes until smooth, but feel free to make yours chunkier if that’s your preference!)
- Transfer dip to oven-safe baking dish. Amply top with mozzarella, then bake for 15 – 20 minutes until dip begins to bubble at the edges. Once bubbling occurs, turn the oven up to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes more until the top is crisped and browned – Keep a close eye on it! When ready allow to cool slightly, then plate and serve with your choice of pairing.
>> Spoon your artichoke hearts into the food processor, then measure out 2 tsps of oil from jar and add that in too. DON’T just dump the whole jar in, that will be too much oil.
french bread is hiiiighly recommended here 🙂
This looks too dag on good to be skinny, and the ingredients sound legit! Bravo Christine!
thanks so much Christina!
All you have to say is hot and melty and I’m in! Even though I didn’t have an Oscars party, I can find any excuse to make this dip. And the fact that it is lightened up is even better!
seriously, this is worth making for literally any excuse 🙂
Ahh yum!! I think every day is enough to celebrate this skinnied up dip! Love the kale + artichoke combo, and three cheese? Perfection, girl! Pinning!
thanks Alyssa, I totally agree! xx
I love spinach with artichoke dip but never thought to add kale. Yummy!