Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Believe me, I went through some major mental arguments with myself before making this dip.   Really silly isn’t it?  Why would I need to convince myself to make something so unbelievably good?

With broccoli as its primary ingredient you’d expect it to be really healthy right?   A reason to make it.

Cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese….all healthy in their own way, but collectively, that’s a lot of  fat and calories    A reason not to make it.

Serve with toasted French bread slices;   oh, oh more calories.   Do I really want to make this?

While all this was going through my mind, a little voice kept saying, ” just go for it, you know you want to.”

Well, as you might guess, the little voice won out,  and boy am I glad.   Once tasted, never forgotten!

I did make some concessions by using low-fat cream cheese, sour cream and milk.

 

BAKED BROCCOLI PARMESAN DIP

Yield:   about 4 cups Dip

Ingredients:IMG_8382

  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Panko crumbs
  • 8 oz. cream cheese ( I used low-fat)
  • 2  1/2 cups broccoli florets (thaw if frozen)
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar, divided
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (used low-fat)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp. creole seasoning ( I used cajun spice)
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • loaf of French bread, sliced 1/4-inch thick and toasted

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375*F.  Lightly spray a shallow baking dish or casserole.

2.  Heat the olive oil, add Panko and cook, stirring till browned and toasted, about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

Melt butter and add Panko crumbs to toast them.

Melt butter and add Panko crumbs to toast them.

 

Remove when the crumbs are golden and crunchy.

Remove when the crumbs are golden and crunchy.

3.  In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, milk, seasonings and salt and pepper.  Mix well to blend.

 

Whip together cream cheese, sour cream, milk and seasonings.

Whip together cream cheese, sour cream, milk and seasonings.

Stir in broccoli, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses.

Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

4.  Spread into prepared pan, sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar.

Spread in baking dish,

Spread in baking dish,

 

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake till bubbly, about 20 – 25 minutes.

5.  Sprinkle with Panko,  serve warm with sliced, toasted bread.

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

 

SOURCE:   Emeril Lagasse

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Three Cheese Zucchini Stuffed Lasagna Rolls

Three Cheese Zucchini Stuffed Lasagna Rolls

Three Cheese Zucchini Stuffed Lasagna Rolls

It’s a good weekend for pasta.   You know how I know?   Every weekend is a good one for pasta.

That was easy!!

If there’s a reading nook and a good book involved in the weekend pasta plans….I’m there.

Seriously, though, there are some really good things happening in this dish of weekend pasta.  It’s the height of summer garden produce, so we’re taking full advantage of …..wait for it….. zucchini!!!    (again)

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This time it’s mixed with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and stuffed into lasagna rolls that are then  topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese–delicious, kid friendly, and kind to waist watchers.  You can make them a day ahead and refrigerate, or if you like to cook for the week(s) ahead, they are freezer-friendly.  This is a great recipe to make double of and share with someone in need, they’ll thank you!  (BTW they are vegetarian also, perfect for Meatless Mondays!)IMG_7947

By now you’ve discovered that these roll-ups are another way to use zucchini.  I’ve been thinking about lasagna a lot lately, but instead of making the traditional lasagna, these rolls are so much easier to make and they’re great for portion control.  I have made this same recipe using spinach in the filling, but when my neighbor brought me some zucchini from her garden I thought I’d try out this zucchini version instead.  These turned out so good;  light, not too filling but very flavorful.  I’m so glad that I have yet another way to use zucchini.

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If you plan to freeze these, you can freeze them individually in ziplock bags or freeze them as a finished dish ready for the oven.  You can also freeze any that you’ve baked, but didn’t finish eating.

THREE CHEESE ZUCCHINI LASAGNA ROLLSIMG_7933

Yield:   Makes 8 servings  @  240 cal./servings

Ingredients:

  • 8 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium zucchini ( 7 oz. each), grated and squeezed dry
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp. part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • black pepper
  • 1  3/4 cups Marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • fresh basil for garnish, (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Lightly grease or spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.   Ladle about 1 cup of sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish and set aside.

2.  In a medium nonstick skillet, saute garlic and olive oil over medium heat for about 1 minute;  add zucchini, salt and pepper to taste and cook about 4 -5 minutes, until soft.

Sauté garlic and zucchini till soft.

Sauté garlic and zucchini till soft.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper.  Stir to mix well.

Mix ricotta with the zucchini, Parmesan and egg.

Mix ricotta with the zucchini, Parmesan and egg.

4.  Lay out the lasagna noodles on a clean work surface.  Pat noodles dry with paper towels.  Spread about 1/3 cup filling evenly over each noodle.

Spread each noodle with 1/3 cup filling.

Spread each noodle with 1/3 cup filling.

Roll carefully and place seam side down into peppered baking dish.  Repeat with remaining noodles.

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5.  Ladle the remaining sauce over the lasagna rolls and top each one with 1 Tbsp. mozzarella cheese.

Ladle on more sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Ladle on more sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Cover dish with foil and bake for about 40 minutes or until the rolls are heated through and the cheese is melted.  Top with fresh basil if desired and serve hot.

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SOURCE:   Skinny Taste