Hot Swiss Chard-Kale Artichoke Dip

Heading into the weekend, there is nothing better than an old stand-by party dip to kick of your Friday night. This recipe is not only incredibly yummy, it can easily incorporate some of those healthy leafy greens from your garden. NOTE - I am not suggesting this is a healthy recipe, but it does have some healthy components. You'll notice that I decided to use some lighter versions of the ingredient list rather than load it up with the full amount of fat and calories that I could have. Did anyone know the difference? Absolutely not. In fact, I won't ever make it with anything but the lighter options.

I should mention that the inspiration for this aaaaamazing appetizer came from our latest CSA box.

CSA WEEK THREE: the haul

Fennel

Cherries

Raspberries

Kale*

Thyme

Sage

Cucumbers

Carrots

Onions*

Potatoes

Swiss Chard*

Celery

Green Beans

*Used in this recipe

Step one: Gather the ingredients. Saute the onion, chard stalks and kale leaves in olive oil. Add the garlic and saute a couple more minutes. Don't forget to stir frequently. We aren't looking for browned veggies here, just softened!

Step two: Add the good stuff. Enter - cream cheese, sour cream, mayo and Parmesan. Oh yeah...and the Worcestershire. Don't forget that. It adds quite a kick to the flavor that you won't want to go without.

Step three: Garnish with scallions and serve with bagel chips, veggies, tortilla chips or bread. YUM!

Recipe adapted from In My Kitchen Garden

HOT SWISS CHARD-KALE ARTICHOKE DIP | Yield: enough for a party (around 12-15 servings) | Total Time: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 C olive oil
1 C finely chopped onion
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and ribs separated, both chopped into small pieces*
1/2 bunch kale, ribs removed, chopped into small pieces*
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese (a.k.a. light cream cheese - half of an 8 oz. pkg.), softened
1/2 C light sour cream
1/4 C mayonnaise
1 1/2 C Parmesan cheese, shredded (1 bag, or about 4 oz.)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Chopped scallions or chives for garnish
Bagel chips, tortilla chips, veggies or bread to serve

*NOTE: Total, I used about 3-4 cups worth of greens. They wilt down when cooked, so don't be alarmed at what seems to be a lot of green. You could use all Swiss chard, all kale, or even just regular spinach. Choose your dark leafy green of choice!

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, chopped Swiss chard stalks, and torn kale leaves. Cook  5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add minced garlic and cook 2 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid browning.

Add Swiss chard leaves and chopped artichoke hearts into pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove lid for the last few minutes to evaporate any excess liquid in the pot.

Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, shredded Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until dip is hot and thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm, garnished with chopped scallions or chives.