Who doesn’t love pizza in any form?  Around Super Bowl time, I was seeing all kinds of pizza dips popping up as suggestions for game day fare.  Football is not a huge deal at our house and so I had to wait for another occasion to make a version of pizza dip.  Hosting book club last week happened to be the perfect reason to give it a try.

Many of the recipes that I have seen for pizza dips involve cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream as a base layer.  One of my favorite swaps for mayo and sour cream that makes dishes healthier is nonfat plain Greek yogurt.  It is tangy, thick and creamy without being heavily laden with calories and fat.  I also cut down on a few calories and grams of fat by using reduced-fat (part skim) mozzarella cheese.

This dip is plenty flavorful even with these healthier modifications.  Top the dip with a variety of vegetables and you’ll really have a popular dip that you can feel great about serving.

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Lightened up Pizza Dip

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake appetizer cream cheese vegetables

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Ingredients (1 8-inch serving dish)

• 1 8oz. package low-fat cream cheese
• 1 6oz. container of 0% (nonfat) plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup prepared pizza sauce
• 1 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped vegetables and/or cooked meats
• Sliced bread, pita chips or tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, yogurt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning using an electric mixer.

Spread mixture into bottom of 8-inch glass pie plate or square glass baking dish.

Top the cream cheese mixture with pizza sauce and spread evenly to cover.

Sprinkle vegetables and/or meats over the shredded cheese.

Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with bread or chips.

Dip can be made one day ahead and stored (before baking) wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

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combine cream cheese, yogurt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning

spread cream cheese mixture into pan

top with pizza sauce

sprinkle cheese over the sauce

top with chopped veggies (and meat, if using)

bake until cheese is melted and serve

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I’m declaring a savory week here on Satisfy My Sweet Tooth.  A few weeks ago, I made Vegan Gluten-free Brownies and then a few hours later proceeded to make Babybel-stuffed meatballs.  I love all food.  I don’t discriminate.

I grew up eating my grandmother’s to-die-for Italian red sauce with meatballs.  Since she is gone no one can quite replicate the amazing flavor of her “gravy” but I am able to take myself back to sitting around her table with these meatballs.  My grandmother did not stuff meatballs with cheese but Giada does, so I figured combining two of my favorite cooks versions of meatballs could only result in a small meaty miracle in the shape of a ball.  And I was right.

Pasta is easily my single favorite savory food and while I do not feel the need to add a protein to top my noodles, my husband is never quite content with a meatless dinner (Waah).  So, as I mentioned after experimenting with vegan gluten-free baking during the first part of the day and watching his nose turn up with the addition of each “weird” ingredient, I knew that a meaty meal was the way to his heart.

Babybel cheese wheels are a favorite of mine.  I can remember my mother packing them in my lunchbox as a child and even now when I am hungry for a snack I love to eat a couple of the Babybel Lights for a low-calorie high-protein snack.  I wasn’t sure how the Babybel would melt in the cooked meatballs, but I was pleasantly surprised when I cut into a meatball and was met with a gooey string of cheese.  Cook up some pasta with your favorite red sauce and whip up a batch of these meatballs and you will be satiated and comforted in no time.

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Babybel-stuffed Meatballs

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake entree cheese meat Italian

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 5 Babybel cheese wheels, quartered

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except egg and meat and mix to combine. Add egg and meat and mix until all of the other ingredients are incorporated evenly.

Roll mixture into small balls. Make indentation into each ball and stuff with a quarter of a Babybel. Seal meat around the cheese by rolling and place stuffed balls onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake about 20 minutes or until meat is cooked to your liking.

Serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese.

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dry ingredients

quarter Babybels

combine all ingredients, roll into balls and make indentation into each ball

stuff quarter of a Babybel into each ball and roll to seal

bake

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There is nothing that adds flavors and depth to a dish quite like fresh herbs.  I love to buy bunches of basil and cilantro at the farmers’ market during the summers, but during the winter fresh herbs are a little more of an expense and luxury.  It kills me to spend money on a bunch of fresh chives or parsley and then only use a small portion for garnish or to add some freshness to a dish.  Again, the flavor is worth it, but it just breaks my heart when I can’t think of what to do with the rest of the bunch of herbs and it goes to waste!  Am I alone on this one?  Anyway, last summer, I had this dilemma and my mom suggested that I throw all of these unused misfit herbs into the blender, add some garlic and olive oil, form them into balls and freeze them for later use.  I am so excited that I took her advice because I at way too much Halloween candy and need a healthy dinner!  I have a spaghetti squash in the oven right now and I can hardly wait to throw one of the herb balls from my freezer into a sautée pan and pour the freshness of summer over my beautiful fall squash!

 Purée herbs, garlic and olive oil

Divide herb mixture,  form into balls and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet

Once frozen, place herb balls into a freezer bag and store

To use, remove ball from freezer,  place into small saucepan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and warm

For my spaghetti squash, I pierced the squash several times with a knife and baked at 350° for 1 hour.  Then I cooled the squash for 15 minuets, cut it in half and removed the seeds.  I removed the flesh and added it to my saucepan to combine it with the herb mixture.  Topped off with parmesan cheese and served with some sautéed kale, you have a healthy and satisfying meal!

“As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway“

 

 

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It’s true what they say about the fact that the simplest things in life can make us the happiest.  I like to challenge myself with complex dishes from time to time in the kitchen, but there are also times when I am going to a party or invited to dinner and I just want something quick, simple and delicious to bring.  A friend of mine made this dip at a party and it was just so flavorful and yummy, I couldn’t stop snacking on it.  I was pleasantly surprised when she shared the recipe for this Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip that it only involved a few ingredients and could be made in a matter of minutes.  This dip is great served with sliced veggies, pita chips or tortilla strips.  It would also be a great sandwich spread!

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Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: appetizer vegetarian vegetables cheese

Ingredients

• 4 red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 (8 oz.) blocks of feta cheese ( or 2 cups crumbled feta cheese)

Instructions

Roast red peppers either over a gas top stove flame, under a broiler or in a dry grill pan until charred on all sides. Immediately remove peppers from heat and wrap in wet paper towel for 5 minutes to steam (this makes it easier to peel the skin off).

Peel, seed and chop peppers. Place peppers and all other ingredients into a food processor and puree.

Chill and serve with vegetables, chips, pita, etc.

Can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated.

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(Recipe adapted from epicurious.com)

char red peppers

chop peppers, add all ingredients to food processor and purée

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As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received some great products from Newman’s Own.  I really like the Newman’s Own products that I have tried and I appreciate that they use natural ingredients.  One staple that is always in my refrigerator is Newman’s Own Lighten Up Italian Dressing with Lemon.  Their dressing is one of the key ingredients of the Antipasto Pasta Salad that I am sharing with you in my video debut!  It’s a recipe that is very customizable to the tastes of you and your family which you know I love!  I hope you enjoy it!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Try to settle down.  The American Academy of Motion Pictures will be accepting Oscar nominations for several months yet.  ;)

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