Freeze Dried Green Chili Dip

I am so in love the the new Shelf Reliance Freeze Dried Green Chilies.   They are so good.  By far my favorite of the new products.  

They are also cheaper than the canned variety. 

Freeze Dried Green Chili Dip—modified from Sariah Schmickrath’s recipe
Printable Recipe

1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese softened
1  cup Thrive Sour cream powder plus  ½ cup  water
3/4 cup of Thrive green chilies re-hydrated
2 green onions chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
 a few twists of fresh ground pepper 

Cream together cream cheese, sour cream powder and water. Add green chilies, green onions, cumin, salt and pepper.  Mix together, scrape the bowl and mix a little more.

This dip can be served cold or hot.  Chill and refrigerate or put in small stoneware and bake for 20 min at 350 degrees.  Serve with veggies and tortilla chips.

Brown Sugar Sour Cream Fruit Dip

This is one of my favorite recipes.  I have posted about it before but I have changed it a little and I like it so much more. 

This easy dip reminds me of cheesecake.  But I feel virtuous when I eat it because it has very little fat, and I dip fruit in it so it must be healthy. Right?

Sour Cream and Brown Sugar Fruit Dip
1 cup THRIVE sour cream powder
1/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons THRIVE brown sugar, plus a little extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Mix sour cream, water, brown sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract together. Let stand in refrigerator for flavors to combine (at least an hour or two or even better overnight). Garnish with a sprinkling of brown sugar.  Serve with fresh fruit such as apples or strawberries. 

Pantry Challenge: Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have had a jar of artichoke hearts in my pantry for a couple of weeks.  It was purchased to be backed chicken bacon alfredo.  But that didn’t happen, and I’m glad it didn’t because as I was looking through my pantry I saw it and knew that Spinach Artichoke dip was in my future.

To Cut Up Messy Canned foods--Like Artichokes 
Just cut them right in the can with your clean kitchen shears or use a knife cutting the food against the side of the can. This recipe takes about 1/2 a jar of artichokes.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
2/3 cup sour cream powder (add to ¼ cup hot water mix well, don’t worry if it is a little lumpy, after you bake it the lumps will be gone.)

1 cup FD Spinach (rehydrate in 1 cup hot water and drain)
1 cup coarsely chopped artichoke hearts, drained
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoons

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400°. 

In a medium bowl -combine sour cream and hot water mix well,
Add the cream cheese.  Beat till smooth, either by hand or on low speed with a hand mixer. 

Add in the salt.

Fold in the drained spinach, garlic, artichokes, and Parmesan cheese.

Spread into a small baking dish or hollow our a loaf of artisan bread and fill the cavity with the dip.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.  Avoid over baking to prevent it from separating.

Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan cheese over the top if desired, during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Serve warm with baguette slices, pita chips, crackers, etc...

Recipe Substitutions: 

If you don’t have the sour cream powder that I used, use regular sour cream or 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/3 cup mayo.

If you don’t have Freeze Dried Spinach it is okay to use fresh cooked spinach or defrosted frozen spinach, just make sure that whatever you use is very well drained.