Spinach Artichoke and Buffalo Chicken

The following recipe and photography for this post were provided by local blogger Abby Thome of The Thome Home.

Football season is officially here, and there is no better way to spend game day than with a spread of appetizers to keep your belly full while your root on your favorite team! I’ve taken two classic hot dips, Spinach Artichoke Dip and Buffalo Chicken Dip and given them a healthy twist to lighten them up. Most dips call for mayonnaise and sour cream, but for these, we’ve used Greek yogurt. You’ll be so surprised to taste how rich and creamy these dips are, without having to include the traditional components.

What’s even better is that these recipes are made in the crockpot so that you can keep the heat in the game and out of the kitchen!

Assembling a delicious dip board is so simple and fun to make, too! Darista Dips has a variety of hummus that will add a pop of color to your board. Once you’ve cooked your dip of choice (or both!) place the dip into a bowl and get ready to make an impressive appetizer spread.

All that’s left to do is choose your favorite vessels for dipping. From Heinen’s incredible artisan breads and fresh produce, you can easily let your imagination run wild! Not only are these dips crowd-pleasers, but setting up a board for guests to pick and chose their very own combinations will make your game day a total win.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 16 oz. Heinen’s organic baby spinach
• 2- 14 oz. cans Heinen’s artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• 2- 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup Heinen’s Parmigiano Reggiano grated cheese
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Method

1. Place Crock Pot setting on high.
2. Stir together the artichokes, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Add baby spinach to the top of the cheese mixture. Simply piling it on top of the wet mixture.
4. Place the lid on the crockpot and set the timer for 2 1/2 hours.
5. Halfway through cooking, take the lid off and give everything a really good stir. The steam from the dip will cause the spinach to wilt and make it really easy to incorporate.
6. At the end of 2 1/2 hours, turn the crockpot to warm.
7. Keep dip in the crockpot on warm and set out small plates and a serving spoon to make feeding a crowd a breeze or scoop the desired amount into serving bowls and serve with tortilla chips, baguette and fresh-cut vegetables.

Suggested Dippers: Tortilla chips and sliced baguette

Click Here to Print the Recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, roasted and shredded
• 1 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella

Method (For Cooking the Chicken Breasts)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray.
3. Sprinkle each breast with a pinch of kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked completely through.
5. Remove chicken from baking sheet. Finely shred chicken breasts with two forks.
6. This process can be done the day before your football festivities and set in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to make the dip!

Method (For Making the Dip)

1. Place crockpot setting on high.
2. Add all ingredients into the crockpot
3.  Cook for 2 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through.
4. Keep dip in the crockpot on warm and set out small plates and a serving spoon to make feeding a crowd a breeze or scoop the desired amount into serving bowls and serve with tortilla chips, baguette and fresh-cut vegetables.

Suggested Dippers: Tortilla chips and sliced baguette

Click Here to Print the Recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip.