It’s late January, and we are back into the throes of routine — but an invigorated routine, let’s call it. School is back in session. I’m still feeling inspired enough to be more mindful of my body when it comes to nourishment — and, yes, even movement. Lunches are, for the time being, colorful and creative.
But with the end of January comes the inevitable temptation of derailment in the form of…the Super Bowl. Sports fan or not, it’s at the very least the first official holiday from whatever mindful eating commitments you might have made at the turn of the year. This is probably where I should reiterate that I am not a fan of resolutions nor fad dieting; I am, however, a fan of both balanced nutrition and (the fun part!)…moderation. And it’s in that vein that I present this roundup.
Ten Super Bowl recipes that cut absolutely zero corners, that make no apologies. Tasty food made for the sake of tasty. freaking. food. Here we go.
This post has been updated for 2023 because the Super Bowl teams may change, but our love of good party food is FOREVER.
1) Fried Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls
(via Half Baked Harvest)
I love the idea of tangy goat cheese enrobed in a crisp shell of fried panko — and Drizzled In Buffalo Sauce. My lord. (Food for thought: These on a salad for a weeknight meal?)
2) Baked Jalapeno Monte Cristo Sliders
(via The Pig & Quill)
This is one of the most indulgent recipes to have come out of my kitchen — and one of the most popular. We make these annually for the Super Bowl. And New Year’s Eve. And Lana’s yearly birthday brunch. They’re ooey-gooey. Spicy. Sweet. Unapologetically buttery…and so. damn. good.
3) Miso-Butter-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
with Roasted Chickpeas
(via My Diary of Us)
I’m a huge sucker for anything resembling a potato skin, and yes, anything with miso. These roasted sweet potatoes sound so hearty and robust and crazy savory, and yet (contrary to what I promised) they still seem somewhat…sensible?
4) Gluten-Free Supernatural Brownies
(via Snixy Kitchen)
If ever there were a time for a super-solid brownie recipe, this is it. Yes, these are gluten-free, but don’t let that fool you: The brainchild of Michelle (Hummingbird High) and Sarah (Snixy Kitchen), these are positively bound to be irresistible. (And, yeah, they just happen to be gluten-free.)
5) Greek Sweet Potato Fries with
Curried Tzatziki Sauce
(via The Pig & Quill)
Feta is perhaps my favorite accompaniment for fries, so these sweet potato fries LOADED with feta and topped with refreshing, curried tzatziki sauce and hot chili oil are, well, my ideal game-day eats. (And while you can certainly make the fries from scratch, a good freezer fry will more than do the trick.)
6) Chorizo-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates
(via The Defined Dish)
If you’re carnivorous, I feel like these bacon-wrapped dates require very little explanation. Crispy, salty, smoky, porky, spicy and…*drumrollllllll* sweet. Sign me up.
7) Butterscotch Mochi Bars
(via Two Red Bowls)
I’m pretty adamantly Team Savory, so if I’m going to bake something sweet, it had better damn well be worth my time. Those brownies up there? Yep. And these, you guys, are seriously tempting. A gooey-chewy mochi cake batter swirled with real butterscotch. Sigh. And naturally gluten-free since the inviting crispy-chewy texture is thanks to sweet rice flour.
8) 7-Ingredient Mango-Pineapple-Habanero Hot Wings
(via I Am A Food Blog)
Have you made oven-baked wings? It’s so much easier than you’d think to get them uber-crispy with just a dusting of baking powder or corn starch — and then this sauce, which sounds so tantalizingly hot. Love how the pineapple and mango would totally bring out the fruitiness of the peppers too. Bing, bang, boom.
9) Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches
(via Vanilla and Bean)
Can you pull a mushroom? Apparently so! Very, very intrigued by the idea of shredding the portobello mushrooms, and aside from that, this BBQ sandwich recipe is about as straightforward as it gets. For game day, these might be even more perfect on tiny slider buns with a little genuine coleslaw up top. Yum.
10) Hot Gruyere & White Wine Chicken Dip
(via Heartbeet Kitchen)
I love Amanda of Heartbeet Kitchen for her dedication to genuinely delicious food, and the post that accompanies this elevated chicken-dip recipe just happens to be a quintessential example of that. Ingredients selected purely for what they add to the dish, not for what they take away. Splurge-worthy, to be sure.
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Hope everyone enjoys the tail end of January — and whatever indulgences February may bring your way! Oh…and as a Bay Area gal, you knew I was gonna say it: Go Niners. 😉
Cheers,
Em
Guys! Follow me onInstagramfor more peeks into our life on the Northern California coast. And if you feel so inclined, pop over to my personal food + lifestyle blog,The Pig & Quill, where I share salty scribblings from my kitchen and home life. Byeeeeee!
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