Holiday Recipe Makeover-Spinach Artichoke Dip

Dips are always a big hit at holiday dinner parties, and one of my all time favorites is spinach artichoke dip!  The name can be misleading however, because in addition to healthy spinach and artichokes, it is packed with high-fat cream cheese and sour cream.  I recently came across this "lightened up" version in Cooking Light, and had to make it for the party we hosted this weekend!  It turned out just as creamy and delicious, with less total calories and fat. 

Yield: 5 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup dip and about 6 chips)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1  (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 1  (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.