This Skinny Philly Cheese Steak Dip will satisfy any hearty appetite.
I know what you’re thinking. Is it possible to say Philly Cheese Steak and Skinny in the same sentence? I thought the same thing when I spotted a recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Dip in the Clean Eating magazine recently. I admit I thought it sounded kind of gross at first, but knowing my meat loving boys, I took a second look through the ingredients.
There were lots of veggies in the recipe – onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Ok, I thought, that’s always a selling point for me when I can sneak in some extra vegetables at snack time. Instead of low-fat sour cream and cream cheese, I decided to use my skinny trick and substitute pureed cottage cheese, my secret weapon in creamy dips and desserts. Not only is low-fat cottage cheese packed with calcium, it’s also higher in protein than either sour cream of cream cheese.
Let’s just say that when I told the boys that I was serving them Philly Cheese Steak Dip the other day, they ran to the table and gobbled this hot dip up pronto. Just a funny note…after one of my kids polished off the dip, he saw my recipe laying on the counter top and said, “this isn’t steak, it’s turkey!” I simply replied, “actually, it’s chicken.” 😉
This is a hearty dip and would be great for Super Bowl Sunday or whenever you need some “guy” food that’s lighter than the normal fare.
Skinnied down, one serving of this dip has 145 calories, 5.6 grams fat, and 2.1 grams saturated fat, or about 50% fewer calories and 80% less fat than a full fat version made with cream cheese and full fat cheddar cheese.
Of course, choosing healthy dippers is just as important as choosing healthier ingredients to lighten up dips and watching portion sizes. Recently, I spotted a blurb in Cooking Light Magazine on Dipper Calorie Math:
Dipper Equivalents: (1 ounce):
- 15 cucumber coins, carrot sticks, etc,: 10 calories
- 13 tortilla chips: 140 calories
- 10 baked pita chips: 132 calories
- 6 whole grain crackers: 122 calories
- 3 crostini with olive oil: 110 calories
- 13 tortilla chips
So, choose your dippers wisely.
If you’re hosting a Super Bowl Party or going to one, here are more dip recipes that would be healthier options to any spread:
Seven Layer Dip
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Chili Cheese Dip
Skinny Spinach Dip
Skinny Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Fontina Cheese
Warm Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Dip
Warm Artichoke and Hearts of Palm Dip
Easy Hot Black Bean Salsa Dip
Smoky Black Bean Dip
Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip
Guacamole Salsa
Roasted Corn, Avocado and Black Bean Salsa
Fireworks Black Bean Salsa
Cooking Light: 16 Low Calorie Dips
Skinny Philly Cheese Steak Dip
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 1% milkfat cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 8- ounce package mushrooms finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
- paprika if desired
Instructions
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Place cottage cheese in food processor and process until smooth. Add milk, cornstarch and shredded cheese and process until combined.
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In a large pan, heat oil and saute bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and garlic until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking up pieces.
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Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook a minute or two for flavors to develop.
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Stir in cottage cheese mixture and turn off heat. Stir until cheese is melted and dip is creamy. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika if desired.
Your kids get the best after-school snacks! I don’t think I’d miss beef in this dip at all, there’s so much other flavor going on.
I am taking notes for when my son is older enough to need after-school / practice snacks. Your boys are LUCKY!
ooh this looks and sounds so good! I love turning philly cheeses into a dip!
great idea Jeanette!!
Oh my, I bet this would be gone in no time!
Cheesy dips are one of my favorite things! I bet this would be really easy to make meatless too. 🙂
I wasn’t sure about this when I first read the title, but you’ve sold me with all of the added veggies. I’ll bet the bowl would be emptied in no time! The pureed cottage cheese trick is one of my favorites too, particularly when I’m making lasagne or stuffed shells.
Dara – I know what you mean…same here when I saw a recipe for this dip in Clean Eating. I love pureed cottage cheese as a healthy trick – it’s so creamy, no one has ever noticed the difference.
That’s a great story. I love how you are able to get your boys to eat just about anything. Mind you…this dip wouldn’t have been to challenging. Cheesy, yummy goodness!
Thanks France – I’m always trying to sneak in more veggies, which can be challenging at snack time.
What a great dip! Just in time for this weekend.
Jeanette,
Do you substitute cottage cheese in equal amounts for cream cheese or sour cream?
Thank you
Janice – I substitute pureed cottage cheese in equal amounts for cream cheese.