This is a super easy, super healthy hummus recipe, and if you are on WW Freestyle, it is 0 points!

Ingredients:

1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional: You can squeeze in some fresh lemon juice if you like it.

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Process for about 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping halfway through to scrape down the sides.

Makes six 1/4 cup servings

Recipe source: Emily Bites

A refreshing twist on a classic dip!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2-1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

3/4 cup chopped cucumber

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

1 package (12 ounces) whole wheat pita breads

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, 1-1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning and garlic; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, onion and olives. Drizzle with vinegar mixture and toss to coat. Chill until serving.

Cut each pita bread into eight wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil; sprinkle with remaining Greek seasoning. Bake at 400° for 6-8 minutes or until crisp. Serve with salsa. 

Yield: 2-3/4 cups salsa and 40 pita chips. 

Recipe Source - Taste of Home

I made this simple salsa for Corey's graduation party. It was definitely a hit. I highly recommend it over store-bought salsas.

Ingredients:

2 15 oz. cans of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 4 oz. chopped green chiles
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 small onion, chopped
Juice from 2 limes
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a large glass mixing bowl. Blend with an immersion blender. Cover and refrigerate for one hour to let flavors meld. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking

This is a great spread to prepare when you don't have a lot of time, but you need to serve an appetizer. Serve it on crackers or cocktail bread. 

Ingredients:

8 oz. crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
8 oz. fat free cream cheese
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 T dried parsley flakes

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together until well-combined. Serve on crackers.

Recipe source - Just Tasting cookbook

This is a great dip for your Super Bowl party. How can you go wrong with warm, gooey cheese topped with bacon? By using low fat dairy products and lean bacon, the calorie count won't make you fumble either!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hellmann's Low Fat Mayonnaise
1 8oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 oz if you weigh it)
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
5 reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices Oscar Meyer center cut bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bacon slices in glass baking dish lined with paper towels. Cover with paper towel and microwave 3 minutes or until cooked to desired crispness. Cool and crumble. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a small baking dish or pie plate and spread evenly in the dish. Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with crackers or veggies.

Number of Servings: 8

This is a fun one for Halloween parties.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) reduced fat or fat free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped turkey pepperoni
1/4 cup Alfredo sauce, divided
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
1 pitted black olive, cut lengthwise in half
Ritz Crackers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

MIX first 3 ingredients; stir in 2 Tbsp. Alfredo sauce. Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Top with spaghetti sauce.

SPOON remaining Alfredo sauce into resealable plastic bag. Cut small corner off bottom; drizzle in spiral design over spaghetti sauce. Pull toothpick through sauce to resemble spider web.

BAKE 20 min. Add 1 olive half for the spider's body. Cut remaining olive half for the spider's legs. Serve with crackers.

Recipe Source - Ritz Crackers

I wasn't so sure about this one while I was making it for my book club meeting, but it actually turned out to be good, especially served on the homemade flatbread.




1 C yogurt (drained)
4 C fresh spinach leaves (chopped)
1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
2 T oil

Yogurt: First, drain the yogurt for 60 minutes by placing in a cheese cloth and tying to a long wooded spoon set over a bowl to catch the draining water. (Some people place in a coffee filter or paper towel.)

Spinach: Rinse and chop the spinach. Place it still damp in a sauce pan, cover, and cook till just wilted. Drain and squeeze out excess water. In a large skillet, cook onion in oil until soft, add garlic for one minute, then add spinach. Cook for 2 more minutes.

Assemble: When cool, combine the spinach with yogurt. Add salt and hot pepper flakes to taste. Turn into a bowl and serve with hot naan (a round flatbread) or toasted pita chips. You can also serve chilled.

Recipe Source

This is my adaptation of one of those Pampered Chef recipes you get when you host a party. It's pretty tasty, and my version is healthier than the original!





Ingredients:
1 can (16 ounces) fat free refried beans
1 package (8 ounces) fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons low sodium taco seasoning mix
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup) (use the 2% milk kind)
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, thinly sliced
Baked tortilla chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spread refried beans over bottom of a 9 inch glass pie plate (or other similarly sized baking dish).

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Finely chop garlic. Add to bow and mix well.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over beans. Grate cheese over top.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until hot.

To prepare toppings, dice tomato and thinly slice onions. Thinly slice cilantro. Sprinkle tomatoes, onions, and cilantro over dip. Garnish with additional sour cream, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Great dip to use with cocktail bread, veggies, etc. I make it a bit healthier by using nonfat sour cream and nonfat Miracle Whip.

Ingredients
2 jars (6 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained a chopped
1 package (10 ounces) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 garlic clove, pressed
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Drain and coarsely chop artichoke hearts. Combine artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, sour cream, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese in large bowl.

Spoon dip into a deep dish pie plate. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Spread on cocktail bread slices for fresh vegetables.

Servings: 10-15 appetizer servings

Recipe source: Pampered Chef

Ingredients

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned or frozen and thawed)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Dash ground pepper

On the side:
Crackers, Chips, toasted bread

Directions
1. Boil the spinach and artichoke hearts in a cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander when done.
2. Heat the cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave set on high for 1 minute. Or, use a sauce pan to heat the cheese over medium heat just until hot.
3. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts to the cream cheese and stir well.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the cream cheese and combine. Serve hot with crackers, chips, or toasted bread for dipping.

Recipe from Casey Chambers

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed
2 tbs. orange juice
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip

Directions
Beat cream cheese, limeade, and orange juice in medium bowl on medium speed of mixer, until well blended. Gently stir in Cool Whip. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with cut-up fresh fruit or vanilla wafers. Jazz it up: serve in a wide brimmed margarita glass dipped in sugar.

Recipe from Miranda Snowden