Are you cooking for game day? Whether you are hosting a Super Bowl party or bringing an appetizer to a friend’s house, we want you to try our thumbs up Super Bowl Sampler picks!
Straight from my book, Appetite for Life, these two delicious low-fat, low-sodium appetizers will make the typical chicken wings crowd go wild for more. Tackle these easy recipes to make your Super Bowl menu a touchdown for kids and grown-ups!
Pizza Potato Skins:
At HealthBarn USA, we love pizza and baked potato skins because they are cool and crunchy to eat. I decided to put these two food combinations together and they created something yummy to eat easily with your fingers. Grown-ups are thrilled because this recipe is super nutritious and kids are eating potatoes rather than French fries without a battle. Try it, you’ll like it!
Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
Canola or grapeseed oil spray
1/8 sea salt
1/8 ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce, low sodium
¾ cup mozzarella cheese, low fat, shredded
¼ cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Poke holes in each potato with a fork or a knife. Bake them in the oven for about an hour or until a fork or knife slides easily through the flesh.
Once the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and let cool until you are able to handle them. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and then into quarters. Take a small knife or spoon and scoop out the flesh of the potato, leaving about ¼ inch. (Reserve the discarded potato and use for another recipe, like mashed potatoes or gnocchi.) Return the potato skins to a greased pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. You want the skins to start crisping up.
Once the skins are cooked through, increase the oven temp to broil, add the shredded cheese and scallion to each skin, and cook until the cheese gets gooey and bubbly. It’s ok if there are cheesy bits browning on the pan…those crispy bits are the best part!
Serve the warm skins right from the oven and watch them disappear quickly!
Makes 16 servings (1 potato skin per serving).
Nutrition Facts per serving: 90 calories; 2g fat (1g sat fat, 0g trans fat); 5mg cholesterol; 13g carbohydrate (2g fiber, 2g sugar); 5g protein; 110mg sodium; 6% Daily Value (DV) vitamin A; 15% DV vitamin C; 10% DV calcium; 10% DV iron.
The Spinach and Artichoke Dip:
This fabulously flavorful low-fat dip tastes amazing but it’s a slimmed down take on the popular (and very rich and high calorie) appetizer that is a crowd pleaser! Appetite for Life‘s version is a good source of fiber for digestive health and features immune-boosting vitamin A.
*Tip: Use the slow cooker to keep this dip warm and serve with Stacy’s Pita Chips and veggies.
Ingredients:
1 bag (6 ounces) baby spinach leaves
1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
14 ounces frozen (thawed) artichoke hearts or 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
1 package (3 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
Pita chips and/or cut-up vegetables
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In medium saucepan, heat 4 cups water to boiling over high heat. Meanwhile, prepare ice bath in large bowl; set aside.
When water comes to a boil, add spinach in small batches and cook 30 seconds. With slotted spoon, transfer each batch to ice bath to stop the cooking and retain vibrant green color. Squeeze as much liquid out of spinach as possible. (If you like, squeeze excess liquid into mug to drink…it’s full of nutrients!).
In food processor, combine spinach, beans, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, garlic, basil, and pepper. Pulse until smooth.
Transfer mixture to bowl and stir in ¼ cup mozzarella. Spoon into non-stick shallow baking dish; top with remaining ¼ cup mozzarella.
Bake 10-15 minutes or until dip is heated through and top is lightly browned and starting to bubble around edges.
Serve with pita chips or cut-up vegetables.
Makes 20 servings (2 tablespoons per serving).
Nutrition Facts per serving: 50 calories; 2g fat (1g sat fat, 1g mono, 0g trans fats); 5mg cholesterol; 6g carbohydrate (3g fiber, 0g sugar); 3g protein; 70mg sodium; 10% Daily Value (DV) vitamin A; 2% DV vitamin C; 4% DV calcium; 8% DV iron.
Here are more recipes:
Make this Super Bowl a fun one that will have your friends in disbelief that the food tastes so good and is healthy, too (with not a lot of extra work on your part)!
Stacey Antine, MS, RD, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, director, HealthBarn Foundation, co-host, Family Food Expert Internet Radio Show, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA.
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