Cream Cheese and Tomatillo Spread
Make your tomatillo salsa from scratch, or purchase a low-sodium brand. If using a prepared tomatillo salsa, this spread requires just two ingredients and 30 seconds of prep. Don’t forget the chips!
Makes
Serving size
Ingredients
1 pound tomatillos
1 anaheim chili pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
1 cup onions, cut in chunks
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup packed cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (8 ounces) package low fat cream cheese
Low-sodium pita chips (not included in nutrient analysis)
Instructions
- For the salsa, in a medium bowl, cover the tomatillos with warm water. Set aside for 20 minutes. This is not necessary, but makes removing the husks easier.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Peel the husks from tomatillos and rinse off the sticky residue from the skins. Throw away the husks.
- Toss tomatillos, anaheim pepper, jalapeño, onion, and garlic with olive oil. Spread out on a foil or parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
- Place in oven and roast until soft and a bit charred, about 18-20 minutes, turning peppers halfway through.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the stem, seeds, and outer skin from the peppers.
- Transfer vegetables and their juices to a food processor. Add cilantro, lime juice, and sugar. Pulse until mixture is mostly smooth and no big chunks of tomatillos remain, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. The salsa will be a bit thinner at first, but will thicken as it sits for a few hours in the refrigerator.
- For the spread, place cream cheese on a plate. Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes to soften.
- Pour 1 cup of the tomatillo salsa over and around the cream cheese. Place remaining salsa in a covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Serve cream cheese and tomatillo spread with chips.
Cooking Tip
Choose low-fat cream cheese to lower the calories and saturated fat!
Recipe contributed by Akebia
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