Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

Get ready for Football season with this creamy baked buffalo chicken wing dip! This twist on the classic is still full of flavor, and gets a protein boost, from the addition of plain Greek yogurt to the base of the dip.

For a chilled Buffalo Wing dip recipe, check out this recipe I shared with Men’s Journal: https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/buffalo-wing-dip/

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip (Image Source: iStock)

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
Serves 8

Ingredients:
4 ounces light cream cheese (room temperature)
1 (12½-ounce) can of chicken, drained
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded light cheddar cheese
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup hot sauce (or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and mix together. Transfer the mixture to an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serving suggestion: Serve the dip with sliced carrots, celery sticks, and/or multi-grain tortilla chips.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 150 calories, 8 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 450 milligrams sodium, 5 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 16 grams protein

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

It was requested to come up with a creamy buffalo cauliflower dip that didn’t have cheese or cream cheese. So I gave it a whirl and oh my, this is dip is SO tasty - you won’t miss the cheese.

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Dip (Image source: Molly Morgan)

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 4 cups)
1/2 sweet onion, sliced into thick slices
2 tablespoons Earth’s Balance buttery spread
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free thickener like arrowroot)
1 cup Oatly oat milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons (or more) Frank’s red hot sauce
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. On a baking sheet arrange the cauliflower florets and onions. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.

3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the buttery spread. Whisk in the flour. Once combined and smooth, add the oat milk. Stirring throughout, bring the mixture to a boil. Let boil for one minute and then reduce heat to simmer. The sauce should be thickened. Stir in the hot sauce, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast.

4. Transfer about 1 cup of the roasted cauliflower and all of the onion pieces to the sauce pan. Using an immersion blender, blend until sauce is smooth.

5. Place the rest of the roasted cauliflower in a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and lightly browned.

   Serving suggestion: Serve with celery for dipping or whole grain tortilla chips.
   

   Nutrition Facts (per serving): 150 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 280 milligrams sodium, 20 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar, 6 grams protein

Chocolate Dessert Hummus

This dip is perfect to pair with fresh fruit like apple slices, strawberries, or your other favorites! Plus it is simple to whip up. Report back if you try it. Happy Friday!

Chocolate Dessert Hummus with Fresh Fruit (Image Source: iStock)

Chocolate Dessert Hummus
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (14.5 oz), drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine the chickpeas, coconut milk, agave nectar, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla extract; blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Remove the mixture from the food processor and transfer to a bowl, then stir in mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

   Serving suggestion – serve with fresh strawberries or other fruit

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 130 calories, 3 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 175 milligrams sodium, 22 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 11 grams sugar, 4 grams protein

Roasted Beet Hummus

This is a fun twist on the traditional hummus! The light sweetness of roasted beets taste great in this chickpea based dip. When serving hummus, try different toppings like crumbled feta, chopped scallions, chopped herbs, or caramelized onions.

From a health perspective, what I love about hummus is that it has more nutrients compared to many other traditional dips. This is largely thanks to the chickpeas, which are the base of hummus because they provide key nutrients including: dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Roasted Beet Hummus (Image Source: iStock)

Roasted Beet Hummus
Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 small roasted beet*
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, mostly drained
1 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 – 3 tsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

*or purchase roasted beets in the produce section of the grocery store (e.g. Love Beets)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F 2. Prepare roasted beets: remove the stem, most of the root from your beets, peel and scrub and wash them underwater until clean. Wrap beets in foil, drizzle lightly with olive oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until tender. Cool beets to room temperature.

3. Combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestion: Serve with chopped vegetables or whole grain pita.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 74 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium, 7 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 2 grams protein

DIY Queso Dip

DIY Queso Dip (Image Source: iStock)

DIY Queso Dip
Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low fat milk
6 slices American cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup salsa
2 teaspoons hot sauce*
Salt and pepper

*Adjust to your spice preference

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, melt butter and then add in the flour and whisk together. Once combined add the milk and whisk, continue to cook over medium heat, whisking throughout.

2. Once the mixture starts to bubble, let it boil one additional minute. Then remove it from the heat, add the sliced cheese and shredded cheese. Once the cheese is melted, stir in the salsa, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Serve with whole grain tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings like black beans, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced olives, and diced onion.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 130 calories, 9 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 25 milligrams cholesterol, 250 milligrams sodium, 5 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar, 7 grams protein

Baba Ganoush Dip

Baba Ganoush - Creamy Eggplant Dip

Baba Ganoush is a classic Mediterranean dish that is creamy and delicious! It’s a perfect dip to serve with sliced veggies and pita bread. Enjoy the recipe!

Baba Ganoush
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons (10 ml) sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (60 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (30 ml) tahini (sesame seeds paste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C and position a rack at the top of the oven.

2. Arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet and sprinkle with one teaspoon of sea salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes and then lightly pat dry with a paper towel.

3. Drizzle the eggplant lightly with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes, until the eggplant is softened and golden brown. Let the eggplant cool and then peel of skins off (skin should come off easily).

4. In a food processor add the roasted eggplant with the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

To serve: top the Baba Ganoush with a drizzle of olive oil and serve with sliced vegetables, warmed whole grain pita bread, or whole grain crisps.

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Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Serves: 14

Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package light (⅓ less fat) cream cheese, softened
6 oz nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 15 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a small crockpot combine cream cheese, yogurt, garlic, salt, black pepper, and onion powder.
2. Then stir in the artichoke hearts, spinach, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Then stir to combine.
4. Cook the dip on high for 1 - 2 hours or until the dip is warm and lightly bubbly. Then adjust heat to keep warm for serving.

Serving suggestion: Serve with whole grain tortilla chips and sliced veggies for serving!