Spinach Dip:
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (I used Toffuti's Better Than Cream Cheese)
1 cup sour cream (I used Toffuti's Better Than Sour Cream)
1 (10 oz) pkg of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 Tbsp Ranch Dressing Mix (see recipe below)
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix in a medium bowl until well blended. Using an electric mixer works great for this. Stir in remaining ingredients and cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with cut up veggies.
I almost did not make the spinach dip. I wasn't sure if the ranch dressing packets were gluten free, but I knew they were not dairy free. Most recipes I found for a ranch mix used ground up saltine crackers. Does that seem weird to you? Anyway, I found the perfect recipe from a cookbook on my shelf and suddenly, the spinach dip was back on the menu. The Ranch Dressing Mix comes from Rachel Carlyle's new cookbook: In the Kitchen with Gluten Free Mama. This is a great cookbook, by the way! It is not being sold on Amazon right now, but you can go to her website here.
Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix:
1 Tbsp. minced onion flakes
3 Tbsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp dried chives
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Store in an air tight container to use later for dressing or dip.
I also made the Ranch Dip for a veggie plate. I thought it was absolutely delicious. Being dairy free, I haven't had a ranch dressing for ages. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Ranch Dip:
2 Tbsp ranch seasoning mix
1 cup sour cream (Use Toffuti's Better Than Sour Cream for the dairy free version)
1 cup mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients together. Serve chilled with cut up vegetables.
