St. Patrick's Day Dip

St. Patrick's Day Dip
8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, see note
8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup already-shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 pound thinly sliced corned beef, see note
8 ounces sauerkraut, see note
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons milk, see note
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Parsley leaves for garnishing, optional
Assorted crackers, for serving
Place the Neufchatel, sour cream and Swiss cheese in a slow cooker. Coarsely chop the corned beef and add it to the cooker. Add the sauerkraut. (You will not be able to stir the dip at this point.) Cover the cooker, turn it to the high setting, and cook 1 hour.
Add the garlic powder to the cooker and stir the mixture until well combined. Cover the cooker and continue to cook 30 minutes longer or until hot throughout. (After it's very hot, the dip can continue to cook 30 minutes more without a change in taste. After that, remove the dip from the heat.)
Just before serving, stir the dip once more and spoon it into a serving dish. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve hot with assorted crackers.
Makes 1 quart.
Cook's notes: Buy the corned beef from the supermarket deli and ask them to slice it on the thinnest setting. Buy refrigerated, not canned, sauerkraut, which is located in the supermarket deli or near the hot dogs or pork products. The kraut comes in 1-pound packages. Use half for the dip and refrigerate the rest, covered, for up to 3 days. Any fat level of milk you have on hand is fine. We tested the recipe with Neufchatel (reduced-fat cream cheese), but regular cream cheese works, too.
Nutrition values per tablespoon: 31 calories (70 percent from fat), 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 9 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g dietary fiber, 88 mg sodium.