The Best Game Day Food

The big game is coming up! I, like many of you, love good ol’ football comfort food. I came up with a few healthier alternatives to try this year! Thanks also to my mom, for all the best tips and tricks for this game day meal. XOXO

• Butternut Queso Fundido

• Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos

• Cauliflower Wings

• Elk Sliders

Butternut Queso Fundido

This dip is delicious! It consists mainly of butternut squash and just a little cheese. It tastes so cheesy, your guests will love it!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 teaspoon oil (your choice for high heat oil)

• 2/3 cup diced red onion

• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour (any of your liking…I use almond flour)

• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen butternut squash puree, thawed

• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

• 3 ounces shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese ( I used vegan cheese)

• 3 ounces shredded Mexican-blend cheese (about 3/4 cup), divided

• 1/3 cup very thinly sliced radishes

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 3 tablespoons sliced green onions

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced jalapeno pepper

• Tortilla Chips (I recently found Garden of Eatin, chia seed tortilla chips)

• Celery sticks-another good dipping alternative

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add red onion; cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add flour; cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add stock, squash, chipotle, and adobe sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add 2 ounces of Oaxaca cheese and 2 ounces of Mexican blend; cook 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring until cheese melts.

• Preheat broiler to high.

• Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly brown.

• Top with radishes, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno. Service with chips and celery.

Cauliflower Wings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (or any gluten free flour)

• 2 c. panko breadcrumbs (sub. Gluten free panko)

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup barbecue sauce

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• Juice of 2 limes

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• Ranch dressing, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour and cauliflower, Toss until fully coated.

• Set up a dredging station: In one bowl, add panko breadcrumbs and in another bowl whisk eggs and add 2 tablespoons water. Dip cauliflower in beaten eggs, then panko until fully coated. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper.

• Bake until golden and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, warm barbecue sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and garlic powder.

• Coat baked cauliflower in sauce and serve with ranch, if desired.

Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos

These vegan sweet potato nachos will transform your football night. There’re loaded with your favorite toppings, for an epic healthy nacho option.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium size sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/3 inch rounds

• 1 cup black beans

• 1/4 cup corn

• 1/4 cup salsa

• 1 avocado

• 1 jalapeno, sliced

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

• (optional to add vegan cheese, real cheese, or meat)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

• Arrange the sweet potato rounds in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly browned and crispy.

• Arranged the cooked sweet potatoes on a plate and top with black beans, corn, salsa, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro and vegan cheese. I also added tortilla chips to the dish as well. Enjoy!

Elk Sliders

I love a good slider! These little puppies are the perfect addition to your Superbowl meal. As you know, I live in Montana, where the elk is plentiful. We have a lot of good wild game in our freezer that fellow hunters have given us after the hunting season, it doesn’t get more organic than fresh elk meat.

INGREDIENTS

• 30 ounces elk tenderloin or any type of meat you like

• 1 cup dill pickles, sliced

• 1 small head of lettuce

• 2 tomato, sliced

• 2 tablespoons veganaise

• 1 tablespoon organic ketchup

• 1 – 2 tablespoons Siracha (depending on how hot you like the sauce)

• Slider buns (gluten free or whole wheat is recommended)

• s&p

DIRECTIONS

• For the elk. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. The key to cooking good meat is letting it rest at room temp for about an hour. Then add olive oil, salt and pepper to the steak. Sear it on high on the stovetop, caramelized on each side, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Then transfer the cast iron pan of elk to the oven for about 5 minutes.

• For the sauce, combine veganaise, ketchup, and Siracha

• Once meat is cooked, sliced thinly. Assemble the sliders, sauce, meat, lettuce, tomato and pickle.