Fun party food, lively guests and the biggest TV screen you can find – these are some of the best plays in the book for a great Super Bowl party.
You’ll need additional culinary plays to keep your fans from feeling bloated and miserable after four hours of game time and the lengthened half time show. Here are some tasty and healthy moves away from traditional, heavy snacks, along with some recipes for your very own Super Bowl win.
- Go long on thin crust pizza and heavy on the veggies – light on cheese and meat.
- Chili inside while it’s chilly outside? Replace hamburger with venison or ground turkey breast. Shred in extra veggies such as carrots or zucchini.
- Sandwiches: Try flatbread, lighter meats or cheeses and more veggies and flavorful ingredients such as marinated artichokes and banana peppers.
- Serve fruit spritzers instead of sugary soda pop (dilute 100 percent fruit juice in carbonated water).
- Intrigue your guests with a unique veggie tray using snap peas, jicama (a cousin of the sweet potato), pea pods and zucchini, and serve a lower-fat dip.
- Serve no-salt-added tortilla chips to go with your salsa or guacamole. Typically, these dips have plenty of salt already!
Alternative recipes
Don’t fumble with the traditional heavy, greasy versions of these football fan favorites. Kick off your celebration with these healthy recipes instead.
- Spinach artichoke dip with this more healthful version, below.
- Baked buffalo wings
- A unique Super Bowl sundae with fruit bruschetta!
Super Bowl Sundae
Frozen yogurt (See recipe below, or use store-bought)
Fruit Bruschetta
Your favorite healthful toppings such as:
Coconut, shaved dark chocolate, chopped pistachios, granola, chopped pecans or peanuts
Spoon frozen yogurt in bowl, top with fruit bruschetta, your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Make your own – frozen yogurt
2 cups Plain Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup Superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine well and place in container in freezer. Freeze for several hours and scoop.
Fabulous fruit bruschetta
(Use fresh fruit if in season.)
1/2 cup frozen peaches, diced
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, diced
1/2 cup frozen red raspberries, diced
1/2 cup peeled kiwi, diced
1/2 cup banana
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 small mint leaves, finely chopped
Place diced fruit in bowl, add honey, lime juice and chopped mint leaves. Mix and enjoy!
Hot spinach and artichoke dip
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 (8-ounce) package light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Lightly grease a small baking dish. Place fresh spinach in glass bowl, add 1 tablespoon water and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Cool, squeeze water out and chop.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.
Unbelievable baked buffalo wings
1 pound chicken wings (drummette portion is best)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce
2 tablespoon spreadable butter (1/2 butter / 1/2 oil blend)
Fill a large pot half way with water and then add the first 4 ingredients. Bring water mixture and wings to a boil, then boil for 15 minutes.
Drain wings, then transfer to an oven-safe baking tray coated with cooking spray. Bake wings on "broil" (high) for 15 minutes on each side. Do not put oven rack close to flame or wings will burn – use lower oven rack position. (For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, maybe 20 minutes per side).
While the wings broil, combine the hot sauce and spreadable butter in a microwave safe container and microwave until butter is melted.
You may brush the wings with the hot sauce/butter mixture during cooking or add the sauce when the wings are done. Enjoy!
