Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip

I love dip. I am made for dip. In my younger years, if I wasn’t ordering chicken fingers at a restaurant, it was some kind of dip. Instant high school/college dinner! Yes! While I don’t do that very often anymore, I do love me some dips for group appetizers. Snacky foods just bring people together because they’re always coming back for more! I made this Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip for the last big church event Ben and I went to in Bloomington, soon before moving to Nashville. This dip was a big hit with everyone, and I can see it being perfect for football parties this fall too!

When I told people the name of the dip, I intentionally didn’t emphasize the “skinny” bit. See, people tend to equate skinny with not flavorful, boring, or blah. This dip is anything BUT! The skinny bit comes from the dip’s greek yogurt base, replacing the usual suspects like mayo or sour cream. I love greek yogurt for what it is–yogurt. I could eat yogurt [greek or not] day in and day out without complaint. I love the stuff! But subbing greek yogurt for mayo or sour cream in dips and such really freaks me out. I love those other creamy things for their unique flavors and plain greek yogurt is NOT the same. But in some things, when there’s lots of other stuff going on… use the healthy, creamy, protein-packed alternative without fear. </rant> 🙂

The seasoning for this creamy chicken, bean, and veggie dip was originally a flavorful blend of chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. But since I was making this for a crowd–and using the church’s dollar–I didn’t want to buy three new jars of spices. So I just bought one–an amped up Southwest Mrs. Dash. Seasoning blends can get a bad rap, but for dishes like this they are a fabulous bargain. [P.S. I also like to add those blends to roasted potatoes, hot rice, or even a wrap/grilled cheese.] Taco seasoning would be an equally great alternative, or you could go back to the original recipe and use the suggested blend, plus some cayenne for a ‘lil kick. However you season this dip, the Southwest/Mexican seasonings pair amazingly well with the chicken, black beans, and veggies. Be sure to make this dip ahead of time so the flavors have time to marry in the fridge before being scooped up with a salty tortilla chip. I liked it best on day number 2! Enjoy!

Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip [adapted from Yellow Bliss Road]
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Ingredients:

• 16 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning [or taco seasoning, or chili powder + garlic powder + onion powder + cayenne]
• 1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
• 15 ounce bag frozen corn
• 1 cup fresh sweet peppers, diced
• 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, Southwest Chipotle seasoning, chicken, corn, and peppers. Then slowly stir in black beans and tomatoes. Refrigerate for one hour or more [overnight is best] prior to serving with tortilla chips.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 cups.