Easy Super Bowl Food And Mardi Gras Recipes

On February 3rd, this year's Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans which is also the home of some seriously awesome food.

Mr. ReddHedd and I have enjoyed eating our way around the Big Easy on any number of trips, and there are some easy ways to bring home the taste of New Orleans for an easy and delicious Super Bowl party buffet spread as well.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are so many iconic and fabulous New Orleans foods that would work so well as an easy buffet or nibbles spread for the Super Bowl or even just a small Mardi Gras party.  It occurred to me that folks might enjoy some ideas of things they could make easily -- especially foods that could be made in the slow cooker that wouldn't require a lot of constant watching or stuff that could be easily made ahead before the big game.

Anything that allows you to actually enjoy watching the crazy commercials between downs is a plus in my book.  That's especially true when what you want is to enjoy the whole game rather than feel like you have to constantly cook and serve and never get to sit and enjoy.

An easy New Orleans-style nosh could really make the whole experience easy and fun for someone hosting a Super Bowl party.

In terms of sources, you can't go wrong with Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans. This compilation of great recipes from locals, restaurants and the recipe section of the Times-Picayune is essential reading, and was put together after Katrina to help folks recover favorite family recipes lost in the flood waters. It is wonderful stuff, and full of fun stories about Cajun and Creole traditions, too. Marcelle Bienvenue is a treasure all by herself.  And don't overlook the recipe section of the Times-Picayune -- some wonderful recipes in their searchable database, too.

Here are a few ideas for your easy and yummy New Orleans style super bowl feast:

Easy and Healthy Super Bowl Food

The last few days, I've been digging around for some easy yet also healthy Superbowl food ideas.

It has to taste good, right?  No one wants to be watching a football game eating something that tastes like old cardboard with high fiber cereal mixed in for a little crunch.  Blergh!

But feeling like you are going to barf about an hour into the game from eating all that grease and fat is no fun either.  And that is exactly how I start to feel when I eat unhealthy crapola while waiting for the next round of commercials.

So this year, I'm really trying hard to not make that mistake.

I've put together some ideas on what we'll be eating, as well as found some links to other foods that folks might enjoy that turn out to be both healthy and yummy.  Thought everyone might enjoy the perusal.

Nothing is set in stone just yet -- it's still definitely a work in progress.  But because a lot of this can be made from staples already in my pantry and fridge, I can make it happen on the fly this weekend as my taste buds dictate.  Here's what I'm thinking:

Super Bowl Food Ideas

The Super Bowl approacheth.

This year's teams leave me absolutely flat, frankly.  So, for me?  The excitement this year will be generated by what I'm making to munch on while waiting for the next round of commercials.

Thus far, I'm planning on the following:

-- A nacho bar with chili in the crockpot, shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, salsa, guacamole, and jalapeno slices.  And the chips?  The chips will stay dry and fresh on the side until they are topped with chili and fixings for each, personally topped portion.  Last year I made a huge pan of nachos -- they were super tasty, but by the time you went back for seconds, the chips were soggy.  Yuck!  So this year, I'm keeping everything separate so we can build our own plate and the chips will be crispy every time.  Boo yah!

-- Some boneless buffalo chicken bites of some sort -- either ones I'll make or will get.  Haven't decided yet.

-- A veggie and dip platter, so I can fool myself into pretending I'm eating healthy.

-- Pepperoni rolls.  (It's WV, you have to have some of those, don't you?)

And here are the alternative possibilities that may get added in as I feel like it:

World's Easiest Caprese Salad

Earlier this week, I picked up a container of "bruschetta" at Sam's Club in the deli section.  It was their in-house brand of Artisan Fresh and billed as a "classic blend of tomatoes, garlic and basil."

Turns out it was fairly tasty stuff.  Especially when I used it to top a couple of slices of fresh mozzarella today.

Yummmmmmm!

It was caprese salad delicious without having to slice, dice, mix or anything.  Just spoon over the top of the cheese and eat.

Next up will be trying this over a plate of greens with a little roast chicken in the salad as well.  I can definitely see this as a winter replacement for fresh tomato caprese salads once our little kitchen garden succumbs to the first frost. 

Pumpkin Pudding Recipe

I know it is a wee bit early for anything Fall-ish, but I have been craving pumpkin pie lately for some reason.  However, pumpkin pie is pretty caloric and not all that healthful when you add in the crust and the huge dollop of whipped cream.

I stumbled across a pumpkin pudding recipe that I tweaked a little bit, and found gold for both my cravings and for satisfying my dessert needs.

Plus, it is seriously easy to whip up.  This may become a regular at our house, given how nutritious pumpkin is for all of us.  See what you think:

Berry Good Recipes

In the quest for better nutrition, the terms "fiber rich" and "nutrient dense" keep coming up over and over.

Hitting the sweet spot for both?  Berries.

They are loaded in fiber and antioxidants.  And they taste fab.  Plus, they are pretty low in calories, so you can fill up without filling out.

What's not to love?

I've been looking specifically for berry recipes that are healthy, fresh and not loaded down with processed gunk.  I've found quite a few, and thought that folks might enjoy them as well.

So, here goes:

-- Honeyed Yogurt and Mixed Berries with Whole Grain Waffles
-- Strawberry Marmalade Salad
-- Honeyed Peach and Blackberry Cobbler
-- Strawberry Pie With Chocolate Crust

Yummy Maple Cinnamon Rice Pudding

Yesterday evening, I was craving rice pudding.  It has been a comfort food kinda week, ya know?

I had some leftover brown basmati rice from our latest curry night, but not really enough to make a decent sized batch of rice pudding.

What I wanted was a creamy, maple-y, cinnamon-y bowl of goodness.  Maybe two bowls.

I got the idea for the recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker, but didn't exactly follow the recipe precisely because I wanted a little more than it would have made so I could have some for breakfast this morning, too.

So I did the following:

Quick Snack/Breakfast: Mock Cinnabon

The one thing that gets old very quickly trying to do the South Beach diet plan is eggs, eggs and more eggs for breakfast. A week into the plan, and I'm already all egged out and in need of some variety.

I remember that from the last time we were trying this diet plan -- but I also found a quickie breakfast/snack that works really well for me. So much so, that I have been keeping a container of it mixed up in the fridge for a quick grab for snacks during the day.

Mock Cinnabon (Cottage Cheese with Cinnamon & Toasted Pecans)

1/2 c. low fat cottage cheese
1/4 c. fat free plain yogurt
2 pkgs. Splenda (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Cinnamon, to taste (I used between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp.)
7 pecan halves, toasted (I broke mine into smaller pieces, and sprinkled them throughout the dish. Be sure to toast them for better flavor.)

Mix cottage cheese, yogurt & Splenda with the vanilla. Sprinkle with cinnamon on top (I mixed some cinnamon into the cottage cheese with the Splenda and dusted the rest on top.) Place the pecans on top of this. Add more cinnamon, if desired. This is better after it has chilled so the cinnamon can blend into the flavor a little better. I now keep this mixed up in my fridge so that I can dip out 1/2 cup for a snack any time, with or without the pecans. So yummy!

It doesn't work for my husband -- he hates the texture of cottage cheese -- but it's perfect for me. Which just goes to show you that you have to adapt things to your taste and needs in order to make your own plan work for you.

(Old cottage cheese poster shot via carbonated.)