This recipe combines themes covered many times throughout the years of Think Tasty. First, it’s now football season, which means weekend days filled with snacks. Second, this recipe includes legumes, which my husband dislikes. However, he enjoyed this warm spinach dip with a secret during a recent afternoon of football. The secret is the key part!
Football season
As a longtime New Hampshirite, the football seasons I knew consisted of two: NFL and high school. Now, as a Kentuckian, I understand the importance of a third season: college. Personally, I don’t want to spend two days sitting on the couch and watching football. One is fine for me. However, I also am glad to switch a Sunday for a Saturday, depending on the match-up.
This recipe works perfectly for football season. The recipe requires about 10 minutes of prep work and then 20 minutes to bake. That means you have a snack ready in 30 minutes. That is an easy ask for a weekend afternoon. Plus, what’s not to like about a warm snack on a cool fall afternoon?
The secret
My husband is not a fan of legumes, or so he says. However, he likes falafel, which is made with chickpeas. He also likes hummus. See a trend here? Puree the beans, and he likes them! Now you know one piece of the preparation without seeing the recipe.
Not only does pureeing the beans hide them from my husband (hehe), it also provides a smooth texture to the dip. Combined with cottage cheese this dip has a hearty, not for delicate chips, consistency. Plus, it replaces the need for cream cheese, making it a fairly healthy dip. Of course, no one has to know that. This is warm spinach dip with a secret, my friends.
If you’re looking for a healthy spinach dip that’s served cold, try my simple and healthy spinach dip.
Warm Spinach Dip with a Secret
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white beans
- 1/3 cup cottage cheese
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 cup frozen spinach thawed and drained
- 2 ounces feta
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Combine white beans, cottage cheese, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.
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Blend on high for 10-15 seconds.
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Stop, scrape down sides, and blend on high again.
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Repeat again, if needed, to produce a smooth consistency.
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Grease a 1-1/2 quart baking dish or 9" pie plate with olive oil.
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Transfer bean puree to dish, and add spinach, feta, and mozzarella.
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Mix well.
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Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Bake for 20 minutes.
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Serve while hot with carrots, celery, pita or tortilla chips.
