Add These Three Appetizers to Your Playbook
Recipes and Photography by Nicole Davis and Sheila Konen
Fall can only mean one thing — game days are back! And what’s football without some delicious food to watch it with?
Many game-day classics, like nachos, hot dogs and sliders, are heavy on the carbs and fat. And while there’s nothing wrong with indulging, serving up some lighter and more nutritious options isn’t a bad idea either.
Here, we’ve put together three healthy game-day snacks to serve at your next shindig. They’re all easy to make and will be even easier to eat.
Try the flatbread topped with smoked trout spread in place of pizza — this option, made with protein-packed, omega-3-rich smoked trout and fresh herbs, freshens up traditional cheese and sauce. As an alternative, swap in sweet-potato chips with honey-mustard dipping sauce if you have a hankering for chips and salsa. Sweet-potato chips offer a healthy serving of vitamin A and fiber, while the zippy honey-mustard dipping sauce is packed with flavor.
Finally, if dips are your speed, the white-bean-and-garlic dip delivers big taste in few calories.
With these appetizers on your roster, you’ll be winning — even if your team isn’t.
Sweet Potato Chips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Chips
2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/16” thick
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
Dipping Sauce
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp stone-ground mustard
3 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
4 Tbsp honey
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions:
For the Sweet Potato Chips
Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the potato slices in a large bowl and toss with olive oil. Spread in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes, depending on width and thickness of the slices. Check every few minutes after 10 for doneness. Sprinkle with salt.
For the Dipping Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve the chips with the dipping sauce.
Flatbread topped with Smoked Trout Spread
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
8 oz smoked trout
8 oz Neufchatel cheese
2 Tbsp fat-free plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp fresh dill
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ Tbsp fresh-ground pepper
1 Tbsp capers
3 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
Instructions:
Prepare the pizza dough by spreading it thin into a rectangle about 12” x 8” and bake on a baking sheet or stone at 450° for 8-10 minutes. The edges should be light brown. Cool.
Break up the trout into pieces and place it and the cheese, yogurt, dill, lemon juice and ground pepper in a food processor. Blend until combined, about 15 seconds.
Spread it on the cooled flat bread to ½” from the edge. Run a knife down the center lengthwise and then crisscross along the length to create wedges. Sprinkle evenly with capers and pomegranate seeds.
White Bean and Garlic Dip
Serves 4
Ingredients:
15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 Tbsp red onion, chopped
½ Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
3 Tbsp plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp pickle juice
⅓ cup fresh parsley
¾ tsp kosher salt\
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp chives, chopped (for garnish)
2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions:
Sauté garlic, onion and rosemary in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes on medium heat. In a food processor combine the beans, garlic and onion mixture, and the rest of the ingredients except the garnishes. Process until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with chives and finely chopped onion. Serve with fresh vegetables — carrots, celery, radishes.