Skinny Queso Dip

 A thick, hot, melty queso dip loaded with all the Mexican pizzazz but light on calories! Only 123 calories (4 SP) per serving! 

Tell me you don’t just want to shove your whole face into that skillet of queso right now. If you said you don’t, you’re lying. Or you have more self-control than me when it comes to dips. But don’t pat yourself on the back too much because that really isn’t saying much since I’ve been known to eat queso with a spoon…or my fingers if a spoon is not immediately available. I have even hosted an entire Dipsgiving meal with our friends because of how much I love dips! (You can find the photos in the recipe for our easy double smoked turkey!)

I could survive solely off of chips and dips if my waistline would allow it, which is why I am always trying to find a way to make them just a little healthier! Queso will always be my OG favorite when it comes to dips (because it is basically just a giant vat of melted cheese so what’s not to love) so when I saw this recipe for a lightened up, Weight Watchers approved version of queso I was all. over. it!

I decided to try this recipe out for girl’s night because nothing screams “girl’s night” more than stuffing your face with cheese and in between bites saying “Hey guys, it’s okay, it’s low calorie” before washing it all down with wine. (Can anyone tell me if I am doing this balance thing right?)

I’m going to be a little transparent here in my own diet downfalls. Besides the whole washing my cheese down with wine thing, I also usually eat way more than what a recipe serving calls for (even in my OWN recipes…). But I think the original recipe for this queso severely underestimated the serving size. Each serving only had 1 SP, but there were 18 servings! If you can get 18 servings out of this then more power to you.

I measured this dip. It makes 2 cups. 18 servings from 2 cups is 0.11 cups. That is 1.7 tablespoons, guys. I don’t know if I’m a chronic dip overeater, or if they are wildly underestimating how much dip people eat, but this just seems like a cruel amount to be serving someone! Long story short, some of you might find 123 calories (4 SP) a little high for a “low calorie” dip, but at least I’m giving you a more honest calculation! You get 1/4 cup per serving here with these calculations! Eat less if you can, but I think you’ll find it difficult since this dip is so addicting!

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SKINNY QUESO DIP

123 calories per serving (about 1/4 C of dip)

4 SP per serving

You’re going to start this recipe by chopping up all the veggies for the dip. Drain a 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes and a 4.5 oz can of green chilis then dice and set aside. Dice up 1/4 C white onion and 3 garlic cloves as well.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of water, the diced onion and the garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered until the water evaporates, which will take about 2-3 minutes. Watch closely because the onion and garlic will begin to burn if you go too long! Once the water has evaporated, add in the diced tomatoes and chilis, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp hot sauce and mix together until all ingredients are warmed through.

Turn heat to low then add in 4 oz of reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese and 6 oz of cubed low-fat cream cheese. Stir until melted and all ingredients are combined. Add more chili powder, cumin, or hot sauce, to taste, if desired.

Enjoy! Serve with vegetables or tortilla chips! 🙂

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**Recipe adapted from Hub Pages

 

What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut for you or did it crumble? What would you do differently? I look forward to reading your opinions! 🙂