Super Bowl XLIX

For me, Super Bowl has always been an excuse to party on a Sunday. A super charged Sunday Funday. A day when chips, dips, and too many beers is acceptable and happening all across America.  

This year, my friends decided to hit up a bar. A bar! How am I supposed to overindulge in as many apps with cheese as possible? Instead, I decided to have people over. This way, I control what I drink (rosè) and what I eat (still cheese on cheese) all in the comfort of my own home (which if you’re from the northeast, you know is an added bonus since it was snowing!). I was excited to entertain and make lighter versions of the standard Super Bowl foods. An attempt to make that overindulgence feel a little bit better. After perusing pinterest for the perfect ideas, a menu was born. Since buffalo wings are a must for football Sunday’s, living in an apartment with little to no ventilation makes barbecuing a little difficult. A crockpot however, is one of the easiest cooking methods ever. I had seen buffalo chicken meatballs a few times, but finally had an opportunity to make them! The recipe was super easy and pretty healthy to begin with. I found the fit and lean ground chicken which is less fat than the regular ground chicken. 

The worst part of the recipe is mixing the meat, eggs, and breadcrumbs (I used regular because I didn’t have panko) – and this was because I’m not such a fan of touching raw meat (is anyone?) I also added some shredded mozzarella because well, why not!? The meatballs cook in the oven at 400 for about 5 minutes (simply to brown) before jumping into the buffalo sauce hot tub for about two hours (on low). I left mine in for longer than 2 hours though and they were still DELICIOUS and the hit of the party. Serve those balls up with some bleu cheese and you have an instant hit (the boys liked it too!) Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Next up- the dip! 

For years I’ve been making Spinach and Artichoke dip for all events, it became my “specialty”. I eventually tired of this being the request for dips (I passed it along to my mom). This year, I decided to branch out and look for a healthier option. The old dip used sour cream and mayo- which naturally I would use the less fattening types, but that wasn’t on my agenda for this round. So I really took a leap and found a Kale and Artichoke dip via Pinterest. (Wild, I know!) This dip was easy to make and can be prepared in advance and popped into the oven 10 minutes before your guests arrive. This recipe calls for mozzarella cheese, parmesean cheese (I grated it myself), greek yogurt, fresh kale, canned artichokes, and the most fattening part – cream cheese. Again, I looked for one lower in fat to cut calories wherever possible. Most of the ingredients are ones I use regularly so it made them easy to find in the madhouse that was Shoprite two days before Super Bowl. 

The recipe took no time at all to whip up. I used tons of garlic powder and red pepper flakes (my own spin) for a little added kick. When the dip came out of the oven with the melty mozzarella on top, my guests couldn’t wait to dive in (and were none to pleased when I made them wait to snap a pic – sorry it’s not the best!) 

Kale and Artichoke DipFor my cheese plate (because I can’t have a party without cheese and crackers), I added a twist and added prosciutto wrapped melon. The salty/sweet mixture along with the juiciness of the melon is the perfect blend of flavors. The plate also had Brie (a personal fave) , Asiago parmesean (simply cut up the left overs from dip!), pepper jack cheese and turkey pepperoni..while not the healthiest, at least they’re less fat than regular peps (smell that, LC?).I also whipped up my own Kalamata Olive hummus. I used a can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (reserving a little bit of the juice to add to food processor), a handful of kalamata olives, garlic powder, cumin powder, and again my favorite, red pepper flakes. It came out creamy and tasted like fresh hummus (my guests were impressed and could taste the freshness right away!)And finally, the sweets! Before the big day, I was sitting at a friend’s apartment at 9PM on Saturday night when I realized – dessert! I completely forgot about having something sweet to end the feast! I of course took to Pinterest to locate the perfect healthy experiment. I stumbled upon vegan, protein brownies. A little questionable, I know, but they came out fantastic and took under twenty minutes with all ingredients I had waiting for me at home. 

They were rich, moist, and gooey and remained the same consistency the next day! My guests couldn’t believe there was no butter, oil, or sugar (I used stevia, which is made from the leaves of a plant). Not only are they free of sugars and butter- but they’re packed full of protein! (I used Natures Bounty chocolate powder – which I use for everything – it’s amazingly decadent.) They also contain flax and chia seeds, as if they needed more health benefits. 

All in all my first Super Bowl party was a success! I couldn’t tell you much about the game, or the commercials for that matter (the ones I do remember were rather depressing!) – but we had a great time. My guests went home full, tipsy, and happy!  To me – that is the best way to end any night out!