It’s Super Bowl 2017 time! Yes, the time of the year where even the lapsed football fan takes an interest and starts making plans with their friends.
But for those fans that are trying to watch their weight or who may be on a diet, Super Bowl season can be a bit daunting. A lot of the game day snacks are not particularly healthy.
Super Bowl food can be covered in salt or cheese or are bacon, wrapped in sausage, stuffed in a deep fried donut. To that end, we thought we would help everyone out with some great tasting but healthy Super Bowl snacks so you can enjoy watching the Super Bowl online or in front of the TV with friends without having to count your calories.
1. Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings”
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
- 1 c. flour
- 1 c. milk
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 c. buffalo-style hot sauce
- 1/4 c. butter, melted
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, milk and garlic powder in a medium bowl for the batter. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk until the batter is smooth.
Dredge cauliflower in batter until each piece is coated. Make sure extra and unwanted batter is shaken from each piece. Bake until the cauliflower begins getting crispy (a golden color) for about 20 to 25 minutes.
For the sauce, whisk together hot sauce and melted butter until evenly combined. Once the cauliflower is cooked, coat the pieces in the sauce. Feel free to use a light blue cheese or light ranch dressing for dipping.
2. Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Ingredients:
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 3/4 pound (about 2 small) boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 cups olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 3 whole chipotle peppers, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups (half a 10oz bag) spinach
- 5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes and make sure to pierce them with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until fork tender. Place your chicken in a baking dish and rub with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cook the chicken in the oven with the potatoes and bake for 25 minutes. Let the chicken cool after bringing it out from the oven and shred the chicken. When the sweet potatoes are baked, cut the potatoes in half and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper and then leave this concoction for later.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and wilt the spinach. Toss the spinach and shredded chicken together. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees.
Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel but make sure to leave layer of potato so that it won’t flop over while baking. (Keep in mind, the leftover potato could be used for other snacks)
Brush the skins with a little of the chipotle sauce and bake for 5-10 minutes. Mix the spinach, chicken and chipotle sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted, whichever comes first.
Super Bowl 51 Football Party Supply Pack
Click Hear To Buy
“We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, Foods 4 Better Health may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.”
3. Ginger Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Instructions:
Mix the vegetable oil with the parsley, garlic, basil, ginger, lemon juice, salt and crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
Fire up the BBQ (you could also pan fry) and put the shrimp onto skewers. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked (approximately five minutes)
4. Roasted Corn and Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 1/2 cups roasted corn
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 (17 ounces) container of 2% Greek yogurt
- 5 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until crispy and all fat is rendered; then remove bacon.
If not using bacon, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add roasted corn to the skillet, cooking and stirring until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove corn and add it to a large bowl.
Add olive oil to the skillet, and then add onions and red peppers with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in jalapeno, green onions, and garlic, cooking for just 2-3 minutes.
Transfer mixture to the bowl, adding in the yogurt, paprika, bacon and 4 ounces of each cheese. Stir until combined, and then transfer to serving dish. Finish topping the dish with the leftover cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden on top.
5. Lightened-Up Asian Turkey Sliders
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 pounds ground turkey (not lean)
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
- Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 24 thin slices of cucumber (from 1 small cucumber)
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
Instructions:
Position an oven rack 4 to 5 inches from the heating element, and preheat the broiler. Brush a 10×15-inch broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet with oil.
Put the turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, scallions, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a large bowl, and mix gently.
Drop mounds of the mixture all around the prepared baking sheet, and press them into an even layer. Score the meat into 24 even squares, cutting down almost all the way.
Brush the top with the hoisin sauce.
Broil until the meat is browned and glazed and registers 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer, 8 to 9 minutes.
Carefully, pour off any excess liquid from the cookie sheet.
Re-score the meat into 24 sliders, and then follow the score lines with a spatula to divide. Top each slider with a cucumber slice and a cilantro leaf.
6. Churro Almonds
Ingredients:
- 2 cups almonds
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup water
- melted white chocolate
Instructions:
Combine sugars, cinnamon, salt and water in a large skillet over medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the almonds. Stir until the almonds coated and the sugar crystallizes (approximately 8 to 10 minutes)
Remove from heat and transfer almonds to parchment paper to cool. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Let the almonds rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
7. Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken wings
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and pat dry each chicken wing. Coat evenly with ½ teaspoon of the sea salt plus the ground pepper. Bake at for approximately one hour, or until golden brown and the skin is crispy.
While the chicken is baking, whisk the coconut oil, vinegar, lemon juice, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and remaining 1 teaspoon of sea salt together in a small sauce pan over the stove. Let it simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Whisk again just before using.
When the chicken comes out of the oven, let them rest for 5 minutes then place in a large bowl and pour the buffalo sauce over. Stir and combine until each wing is evenly coated.
8. Pizza Pockets
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces Italian turkey sausage
- 1 cup tightly-packed arugula (about 1 ounce)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (13.5-ounce) package of store-bought pizza crust
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden (approximately 5 minutes). Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1/3 cup parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. The cut each half into 8 equal rectangles.
Spoon topping onto 1 side of each of the rectangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place each pocket onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce over low heat in a medium saucepan (if time is a concern, you can use a microwave). Serve pizza pockets with the marinara sauce alongside for dipping.
9. Nutty Pimento Cheese Balls
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened (generous ¼ cup)
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons drained chopped pimientos
- 1 teaspoon grated onion
- 1 pound of onions, red
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 1½ cups finely chopped toasted pecans
Instructions:
Process cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add cheddar, Monterey Jack, mayonnaise, pimientos, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
Scrape into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to two days. Place pecans in a medium bowl. Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and coat each ball evenly with pecans. Serve the cheese balls at room temperature or chilled.
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1 up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate the finished balls for up to 3 days.
10. White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Place cannellini beans in bowl, and mash them. Heat a small pan over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and let it warm. Add garlic, and chopped fresh sage leaves. Stir constantly for 4 minutes or until garlic is brown and sage is crispy. Pour hot oil over beans; stir. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and store in fridge up to 1 week.
Sources:
Miyashiro, L. “Churro Almonds”, Delish, January 17, 2017, http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a51065/churro-almonds-recipe/
Miyashiro, L. “Cauliflower Buffalo Wings”, Delish, October 26, 2016, http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a49855/cauliflower-wings-recipe/
“Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins”, Half Baked Harvest, February 23, 2013, http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/healthy-chipotle-chicken-sweet-potato-skins/
