One night I really wanted something more filling than my usual salad. I also wanted to try out my new 7” Xtrema skillet.  This recipe is the result. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s great: strong on the greens, low carb, and still delivers on the side of comfort food when you want something warm and satisfying.

You can make this recipe with real cheese if you want. I LOVE cheese! I refused to give it up for years and it’s the only thing I ever miss. I made the choice to eliminate dairy products from my diet several years ago and I’m ultimately glad I did. But it was really hard! 

There are many vegan cheese products on the market. Most are ultra-processed concoctions of starch, oil, gums, and “natural” flavors which I try to avoid. I prefer Kite Hill cream cheese or ricotta. Don’t get me wrong: these products ARE processed, but at least they’re made mostly with real food. I still limit the use of these because they are essentially empty calories, but they definitely get me over the hump when I’m pining for cheese.

This recipe is easily tweaked to your taste. You can add more or less cheese. You can add grated cheese on top. You can substitute sour cream for the mayo. I happen to detest non-dairy sour creams, so I tried it with my favorite avocado-oil mayo. However, I make this with no mayo (just the cream cheese) most of the time. It’s less creamy that way but still great. Feel free to experiment!

INGREDIENTS:

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained (if there are a lot of stems, pick them out)

1 cup quartered artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped (water-packed or defrosted and drained)

4-5 oz non-dairy cream cheese (I prefer Kite Hill)

2-3 T good quality mayonnaise

½ t garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spread into the Xtrema 7”skillet (or a small oven-safe baking dish of your choice) and place into the oven. Bake until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!