One of the biggest traditions for Super Bowl Sunday is the Super Bowl Party and those yummy Super Bowl snacks.
While viewers are tuning in to the big game this Sunday (Feb. 3) on KFSM Channel 5, many will be indulging in a variety of snack foods. Often, those foods aren't exactly healthy.
Baptist Health-Fort Smith's executive chef Fabian Laster and registered dietitian Helena Van have a few ideas in mind for those who want to enjoy their Super Bowl snacks and still eat healthy.
Laster and Van work on the Fort Smith campus of Baptist Health through Morrison Healthcare, a food service specialty group, and they work to provide healthier nutrition options for patients and staff at the hospital. So naturally, they have a couple of ideas for Super Bowl Sunday.
One common snack for the Super Bowl is a cheese dip. Laster and Van offer an alternative to the high-fat, high-calorie cheese dip with a lower fat alternative using fat-free cottage cheese and Italian seasonings.
Another common snack for Super Bowl parties? Pizza! Domino's Pizza alone said recently they expect to sell more than 13 million slices of pizza nationwide on game day, about 30 percent more than a typical Sunday. Rival Pizza Hut expects to deliver 1.5 million pizza pies on Sunday.
With that pizza comes a lot of fat and calories, however. Once again, Laster and Van offer an alternative to save on fat and calories. Their Cauliflower Pizza Bites substitutes cauliflower for floured crusts, then tops those bite-sized crusts with marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni.
You can check out both recipes below.
VEGETABLE DIP
1/2 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth.
Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, and lemon juice. Add more salt and lemon juice as needed, up to 1/2 teaspoon each. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
CAULIFLOWER PIZZA BITES
1 large head cauliflower
2 large eggs
1 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, divided
1 tbsp. garlic powder
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. marinara
1/4 c. mini pepperoni
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Grate cauliflower on the small side of a box grater to form fine crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add eggs, 1/3 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons basil, and garlic powder to bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Form into small patties (they will be wet) and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake until golden, 20 minutes.
Top each cauliflower patty with a thin layer of marinara, a sprinkle of the
Remaining mozzarella, and mini pepperoni and bake until cheese melts and pepperoni crisps, 5 to 7 minutes more.
Garnish with remaining basil and serve.