Fall is here!  It’s so crazy that all of a sudden we hit September and fall just comes out of nowhere.  Even though it has still been warm here in Minnesota, fall is undeniably here.  The leaves outside our apartment are starting to fall, and that distinctive smell of Fall is in the air.  I love Fall, and it is a beautiful time of year here in Minnesota.  It is such a special season, filled with football, pumpkins, and crisp weather.  Today was the opening day for the Minnesota Vikings (GO VIKINGS) and we had two of our friends over for lunch and the game.  Both the lunch and our game were a success.  The Vikings won in overtime, sweet right?  And our lunch was scrumptious; even now writing this post I am still full…  For lunch we had a great chili (I’ll post that recipe later), hot spinach and artichoke dip, veggies, and zucchini brownies (also a future post).

The hot spinach and artichoke dip was to die for!  I have made other spinach and artichoke dips before but since I am lactose intolerant and trying to be somewhat healthy on game-day, it is sometimes hard to find a recipe that I can have.  I came across this recipe at ACAC (http://www.acac.com/2011/12/22/hot-spinach-and-artichoke-dip/) and thought I’d give it a try.  Let me tell you, it turned out great!  I made a couple of adaptations and it was a big hit with my husband and our friends.

This recipe uses non-fat Greek yogurt, which I love using in cooking and baking.  I also decided to make it in my crockpot so it could stay warm throughout the whole game.  Definitely put this recipe on your game-day list as it is a winner!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup light Miracle Whipe

1/2 Cup fat free plain Greek yogurt

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 Cup grated Swiss cheese

1/2 Cup grated white cheddar (or your cheese of choice, lots of recipes use mozzarella, but I can’t eat it, hence the white cheddar)

3 cloves garlic, minced

ground black pepper to taste

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

14 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Mix together all ingredients except for spinach and artichokes in crockpot.  Add spinach and artichokes and mix well.  Sprinkle extra grated Parmesan cheese on top if desired.  Heat on high for 1 hour in crockpot and then keep warm. Serve with veggies, pita chips, or crackers.

Makes 12 servings

If you do not have a crockpot you could bake it in the oven instead 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 3 points per serving