If I asked you to name the first food you think of when I say Super Bowl Sunday, what comes to mind? Pigs in a blanket? Buffalo chicken wings? Heroes? I’m guessing something along those lines.
Game day snacks all seem to have a few things in common: 1) They’re finger foods, 2) They’re filled with gluten, and 3) they’re super unhealthy. With all that in mind, enjoying a Super Bowl party and its specific food culture can seem impossible for those with dietary restrictions. Going over to a friends house to watch the nail-biting game and epic halftime show can spark anxiety before the first quarter has even started… all because you’re expected to dig into a bowl of greasy nachos!
After experiencing this first-hand, I made it my mission to redefine game day finger food: gluten-free style. Below are some of my favorite gluten-free party foods which are sure to please all of your friends.
1. Veggie Hummus with Gluten Free Crackers
Hummus and chips is a classic appetizer and can be personalized in so many different ways. I stick to this simple recipe from Buzzfeed as a foundation and swap out the beets for purred carrots, red peppers, or even edamame! You can also leave out the veggies and make plain hummus instead. Feel free to sprinkle in your favorite spices, such as chili powder, sea salt, or red pepper flakes. Herbs add a subtle hint of flavor too!
Veggie Hummus
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can of drained chickpeas
1 pound of roasted, peeled beets
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. grated fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of water (as needed)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor, adding the water in small increments until it is creamy and smooth. Serve with multi-grain gluten free crackers and enjoy.
2. Guacamole and Corn Tortilla Chips
In my house, guacamole is a night-time snack staple and Superbowl Sunday is no exception. This recipe, which my mom has become somewhat famous for, is simple, easy, and in its most basic form, requires only five ingredients.
Mama’s Guacamole
Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 small beef stake tomato, finely diced
2-3 Tbsp. chopped onion (I like using red onion for a pop of color)
Seasonings to taste (I recommend a combo of salt, pepper, adobo, and cilantro)
Directions:
First, slice the avocado and mash it with a fork in a bowl. Next, add the diced tomato and onion, as well as the seasonings. Looking to dress up your guac? Toss in some pomegranate seeds or a seeded and diced jalapeño pepper for extra flavor. Finally, mix all ingredients together and serve with corn tortilla chips.
This recipe makes about a cup of guac. Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe if serving a large crowd.
3. Toasted Corn Bread
A warm piece of corn bread, toasted to perfection, and topped with a drizzle of honey or just the smallest pat of butter screams winter nights snuggled up by the fireplace… but on Superbowl Sunday, corn bread gets kicked up a notch.
My favorite gluten free corn bread recipe is from mygluten-freekitchen.com. The bread comes out moist every time and stores well for about a week in an air-tight container in the pantry and even longer in the fridge. Whether it’s eaten straight out of the container or toasted in the oven, the corn bread is delicious.
This recipe serves as the starting point for Super Bowl Sunday style corn bread, which just requires that extra bit of punch. Variations include topping the corn bread with black bean dip, olive tapenade, or even jalapeño butter right after it comes out of the toaster. Want to take it one step further? Ingredients can be added directly into the corn bread batter! Bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions are just a few of many ingredients that transform a simple corn bread recipe to one with a unique and unexpected kick.
4. Gluten Free Pizza Cups
Mini pizza bites are perfect for parties. They’re tasty, easy to grab-and-go, and are perfect for portion control. These gluten-free pizza bites are sure to feel like a touch-down.
Although they do require a little extra time and hard work, making these gluten free pizza cups are so worth it. Any type of pizza can be replicated within a muffin tray, be it Hawaiian pizza, meatball pizza, or sausage and onion pizza.
Gluten Free Pizza Cups
Ingredients
Instructions
Set the oven to 350 degrease. Grease a 12-count muffin tray.
Place the corn tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until they are warm and flexible. This will make them easy to shape into the muffin cups in a further step.
Using a circular cookie cutter, cut out 12 tortilla rounds from the tortillas. If you are using mini corn tortillas, you will be able to cut out one round from each tortilla. However, if you are using regular sized tortillas, you will be able to make about 2 or 3 rounds from each corn tortilla.
Place one round into each cup on the muffin tray. Push them down into the muffin cup so they take the shape of the cup.
Add a tablespoon of tomato sauce to each tortilla cup.
Top the sauce with any topping of your choosing such as pineapple, pepperoni, or veggies. For my pizza cups, I added diced salami and onions. After adding the toppings, fill the remaining room in the tortilla cup with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Place in the oven and cook until the cheese is fully melted or beings to brown. Do not remove the pizza cups from the muffin tray until they have cooled for at least 10 minutes. The pizza cups are very delicate after they come out of the oven and can break easily if you do not allow them to cool.
Once cool, pop each pizza cup out of the tray by inserting a fork into the side of the muffin tray and lifting the pizza cup out. Plate the pizza cups to serve if you can, but they will most likely be devoured before you even get the chance!
5. Baked Potato Chips
Why munch on greasy, fried, overly salty potato chips when you can easily make your own? DIY baked potato chips take no time at all and are much healthier than regular store bought chips.
The number of potatoes you will need depends on the number of people you are serving. I recommend using about one potato per person. Also, don’t hesitate to use different kinds of potatoes! You can make these using yams, sweet potatoes, or whatever other kind you can find.
Oven Baked Potato Chips
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Then, thinly slice potatoes and place the slices on a greased cookie sheet. I usually cover my cookie sheet in tin-foil and then grease the tin-foil to ensure that the chips will not stick to the cookie sheet, but simply greasing a cookie sheet works, too.
Drizzle the potato slices with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. You can add other seasonings for flavored potato chips, too (i.e. garlic or chili powder).
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. Or, for extra crunchy chips, cook for about 40 minutes. Flip potatoes halfway through baking time to guarantee crispiness on both sides. Be careful to keep an eye on the chips because they can burn easily. When the chips are finished, they will be a light brown color (or darker if you cook them longer).
And there you have it: my favorite gluten-free Super Bowl party snacks. No matter which team you and your guests are cheering for, these finger foods are sure to score a touch down.