Planning a holiday party? We found a great appetizer in America's Favorite Brand Name Holiday Cookbook (Publications International; $19.95). Baked Artichoke Squares consist of a rich crust covered with a mixture of chopped artichokes, mushrooms, celery, onions, spices, eggs, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. A hint of red pepper gives these tasty squares an unexpected kick . Each square contains 6 grams of fat.

For this recipe, we:

Omitted the 3 tablespoons oil that were used to sautÈ the vegetables.

Replaced the regular cheddar cheese with Kraft 2% Colby.

Replaced the Monterey Jack with Kraft 2% Colby. We did this because we could find no varieties of lower fat Monterey Jack cheese. Surprisingly, this change had no effect on the flavor of the finished product.

Reduced the amount of oil in the crust from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup.

Used skim milk and increased the amount from 4 tablespoons to 6. The additional milk compensated liquid lost in the reduced amount of oil.

Our rehab was excellent. The only difference was in the crust. The original crust was very oily; in fact, it almost slid out of the pan when removed from the oven. Aside from the oily "feel" of the crust, no one could tell a difference in taste or texture because the wonderful filling dominated.

Serve these Baked Artichoke Squares at your holiday gatherings. Reduced to only 3 grams of fat per square, they're sure to bring rave reviews.

Baked Artichoke Squares

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup thinly sliced celery

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

2 cups shredded 2% Colby cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

11/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 tablespoons skim milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray medium skillet with vegetable oil; sautÈ mushrooms, celery, and garlic until celery is tender. Remove from heat; stir in artichokes, onions, marjoram, oregano, and red pepper. Add cheese and eggs; mix. Set aside.

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In small bowl, combine oil and milk. Add milk mixture to flour; stir with fork until ball forms.

Press dough into bottom and 11/2 inches up sides of 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Spread artichoke mixture on baked crust. Continue baking for 20-25 minutes more or until center is set. Cool slightly; cut into 40 squares. Serve warm.

Karen Weber, Pat Streicher and Ellen Illig are registered dietitians at Jewish Hospital's Cholesterol Center. Their Recipe Rehab Cookbook, with 250 recipes published in the Enquirer over the last eight years, is available by mail. Send check or money for $40 to RR Cookbook, P.O. Box 58100, Cincinnati 45258.