Whole30 Super Bowl Sunday!!!!

The Super Bowl basically DEFINES junk food. It is the second biggest eating day in the U.S. next to Thanksgiving and for years, I took part in the junk. Our typical Super Bowl meal would consist of fattening buffalo chicken dip, pizza rolls with processed ranch dressing, chips and dip, cookies, the list goes on and on. When I think back on it, I actually kind of want to throw up. We had an awesome Super Bowl party this year with delicious AND nutritious food. We felt full, but not over-stuffed. We didn't over-eat. We didn't drink a ton of booze (we didn't drink ANY booze. NO-NO on the Whole30!) and we didn't have to deal with a post-game day hangover. Win/win! If you think eating healthy for the Super Bowl isn't possible...think again and check out these recipes!!!:) 

Fruit salad is a great healthy staple for any get together. People love to munch on it. I used organic strawberries, red seedless grapes and fresh whole pineapple diced up. Mix together and Voila! How easy is that?!?

One word. GUACAMOLE. One of my favorite things to make to add to just about any recipe. For my guac, I usually do about 3 ripe avocados, a dash of cayenne, a decent amount of salt, a few drops of lemon and lime juice, and a little garlic and onion powder. Mash the avocado with the above ingredients until creamy and then store in the fridge in a sealed container. It will only last for a few days. The only down side of avocados is that they go bad fast. Enjoy it while you can! We used this guac as a topping for our "build your own nacho" bar. 

Another staple favorite of mine is homemade salsa. I make mine in my vitamix (which just may be the best kitchen purchase ever. Don't have one? You won't regret investing in one). I use 2 large tomatoes, washed and cut into 4ths. Then I throw them in the blender. 3 cloves of minced garlic. 1/2 jalepeno pepper. 1/2 of a large onion. Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. So dang tasty! I love it on eggs, meat, veggies...you name it! Here, we use it for a topping for our "build your own nacho" bar. Yum! 

Whole30 Ranch tastes just like regular ranch...only better and not as "chemicall-y" I have always been a huge ranch fan (terrible, I know). This is a really great alternative and goes perfect with buffalo chicken tenders for a party (recipe to come) and it also goes great with veggies for dipping. All you need is 1/2 cup of Whole30/Paleo mayo. See previous blog post for recipe to that. And then just 1tbsp. dill. 1/2tsp. salt (add more if desired), pepper to taste and 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk. Whisk together and your done! Chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. Sooooo yummy! 

Sweet potato chips are a-maz-ing. They will turn non-sweet potato lovers into believers. Simple to make. These were the base of our nachos. Our "chips" if you will. Slice 4-5 washed sweet potatoes thin. Toss them in a bowl with light olive oil, pepper, salt and spice (we used Penzey's bangkok blend"). Then line evenly on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle all spice overtop and then bake in the oven 10-15 minutes each side at 400. Just watch them closely. They can burn easily because they are so thin. I like a little burn though, it crisps them up more and gives them more of a "chip" consistency. These are honestly delicious by themselves. Yum! 

And the final result....drumroll!!!! It was delicious! This is our "make your own nacho bar" Chop up as many toppings as your little heart desires. I cooked some fajita veggies in the skillet with a little ghee and Penzey's taco seasonings, chopped onion, tomato, jalepeno, salsa and guac. Sweet potato chips and smoked brisket for the meat. You can choose any protein you like. Make chicken nachos, or steak, or ground beef. Get creative!! It's a fun, quick and delicious party meal. Super Bowl Success right here!!!!!:) 

You can't forget about munchies for the Super Bowl, even if on the Whole30! Everyone wants to munch while watching all the commercials. We had fruit salad, celery, a veggie tray, Whole30 ranch for dipping and some raw almonds. All healthy and Whole30 approved munchies. Guilt-free!!!!

These bad boys are my favorite. So easy to make. Chop several LARGE white onions up into "rings." Dip in egg (make sure to add salt and pepper to the egg) then dip in almond flour (season up the almond flour with as many seasonings as you would like. Definitely be sure to add salt). We use Trader Joe's almond meal and they turn out great. Line them on aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or so at 400 until golden brown. Keep a close eye on these as well. They burn easily. Serve with Whole30 approved ketchup. Perfect party snack! 

These buffalo chicken tenders may be the easiest, most delicious recipe I have discovered on the Whole30 thus far. Marinate a package of chicken tenders in light olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder for several hours. Then, line them on a baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes at 400 in the oven, or until cooked through. For the sauce, all you need is 2 cups of Franks Red Hot and 1/2 cup of ghee. Bring them to a boil. When the tenders are done toss them in the sauce and throw back in the oven for 5 more minutes to soak in the sauce. When finished, drizzle excess sauce over the tenders and serve with Whole30 ranch. You'll thank me later. 

Remember how I said I love leftovers? Well.....yeah. I still do. Lunch today was leftover Super Bowl munchies. Onion rings with 2 tenders and some celery with Whole30 ranch. Your party snacks can fill you up for days after the game as well! Now that's a touchdown!;)

I hope you enjoyed my Whole30 Super Bowl recipes. You can use these for any get togethers or parties that you have coming up. Bring them to the office, that way you aren't tempted to dive into the cupcakes that always seem to be lurking. Enjoy for dinner, or a snack. It's totally up to you. I just want you to have them as an option for whenever you need a healthy treat. We really enjoyed all of these and I would make them all over and over again. I want to finish this entry with a quote from one of my favorite football players from THE Ohio State University. I think it pertains to us Whole30ers too;) Until next time friends!