Big Game Bites

Hosting a healthier tailgate doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor. Kick off game day with a winning spread of delicious appetizers and snacks made with good-for-you ingredients. From pop-in-your-mouth taco cups and crispy baked egg rolls to touchdown-worthy dips, nachos and sliders, our gameday recipes are sure to become your new football faves.

MiniTaco Cups

Prep: 30 minutes • Bake: 15 minutes • Serves: 8

Nonstick cooking spray 8 ounces wild mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake and/or baby bella ½ pound ground beef 1 ½ Tbsp. taco seasoning 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, quartered ¼ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend ½ cup chopped tomato ½ cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce ¼ cup thawed frozen corn 1 green onion, sliced ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray. In food processor, pulse mushrooms until small pieces remain. 2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray. Add mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until moisture is released, stirring occasionally. Add beef; cook 8 minutes or until browned, breaking up beef with side of spoon. Stir in taco seasoning and ½ cup water; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. 3. Press 1 tortilla quarter into each prepared muffin cup; fill cups with beef mixture and cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese melts and tortillas are crisp; serve topped with remaining ingredients. Makes 24 taco cups. Approximate nutritional values per serving (3 taco cups): 130 Calories, 6g Fat (2g Saturated), 23mg Cholesterol, 128mg Sodium, 12g Carbohydrates, 2g Fiber, 7g Protein, 2g Sugars, 0g Added Sugars

bites cont'd Oven-Baked

Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders

Prep: 20 minutes plus standing Bake: 20 minutes • Serves: 6

Nonstick cooking spray 2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast meat ½ cup chicken broth 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar 1 Tbsp. ground cayenne pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. paprika ½ tsp. chili powder 1 package (12 rolls) favorite Hawaiian rolls, split lengthwise 12 sweet bread & butter pickle chips plus additional for garnish (optional) 1 cup pimento cheese spread 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted ½ tsp. poppy seeds 1. Preheat oven to 350°; spray 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In large skillet, cook chicken, broth, sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika and chili powder over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. 2. Place bottom rolls, cut side up, in prepared dish; top with chicken mixture, pickles, cheese and top rolls, cut side down. Brush tops of rolls with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds; cover dish with aluminum foil. 3. Bake sliders 15 minutes or until heated through; uncover and bake 5 minutes or until tops of sliders are lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into sliders and serve with additional pickles, if desired. Makes 12 sliders. Approximate nutritional values per serving (2 sliders): 378 Calories, 14g Fat (7g Saturated), 101mg Cholesterol, 606mg Sodium, 40g Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 17g Sugars, 26g Protein

Chef Tip

Layer tortilla chips with shredded beef, cheese, black beans and grilled fresh corn in a cast iron skillet and bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with chopped tomatoes, chopped jalapeño peppers, sour cream and cilantro, and serve with guacamole.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Dip

Prep: 20 minutes • Bake/Broil: 30 minutes • Serves: 12 1 can (10 ounces) medium or hot red enchilada sauce 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese 1 cup light sour cream 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained 1 package (8 ounces) fancy shredded sharp

Cheddar cheese 1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (about 3½ cups) 1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro 1 bag (12 ounces) white corn tortilla chips 1. Preheat oven to 350°. In medium saucepan, cook enchilada sauce and cream cheese over medium heat 3 minutes or until smooth, whisking constantly; remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream and lime juice; fold in tomatoes, 1 cup Cheddar cheese and chicken. Makes about 6 cups. 2. Transfer chicken mixture to 2-quart baking dish. Bake dip 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese and broil 5 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with tortilla chips. Approximate nutritional values per serving: 411 Calories, 27g Fat (13g Saturated), 86mg Cholesterol, 661mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 18g Protein

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Skillet Nachos

Prep: 5 minutes • Slow Cook: 5 hours • Serves: 8 1 can (14 ounces) beef broth 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

Tabasco® sauce 1 (3- to 4-pound) boneless bottom round beef roast 1 Tbsp. Montreal steak® seasoning 1. In medium bowl, stir broth, Worcestershire, mustard and Tabasco sauce to taste. Place beef in bottom of 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth mixture over beef; sprinkle with steak seasoning. Cover slow cooker with lid; cook on high 4 hours or on low 7 hours. 2. Transfer beef to large bowl. With 2 forks, shred beef; return shredded beef to slow cooker. Cover slow cooker with lid; cook on low 1 hour. Approximate nutritional values per serving: 286 Calories, 85g Fat (4g Saturated), 117mg Cholesterol, 485mg Sodium, 1g Carbohydrates, 0g Fiber, 42g Protein

bites cont'd

Baked Teriyaki

Chicken Egg R ls

Prep: 35 minutes plus cooling Bake: 25 minutes • Serves: 10

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray 2 tsp. canola oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound ground chicken 1 package (16 ounces) coleslaw mix ⅓ cup lower sodium teriyaki sauce ⅓ cup chopped green onions 20 egg roll wrappers

Less-sodium soy sauce and/or sweet red chili sauce for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°; spray rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. Heat oil in large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add chicken; cook 8 minutes or until browned, breaking up chicken with side of spoon. 2. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in coleslaw and teriyaki sauce; cook 5 minutes or until coleslaw is heated through and tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in onions; cool 10 minutes. 3. Place wrappers on work surface with 1 corner of each facing you; place about ¼ cup chicken mixture in center of each wrapper. Brush edges of wrappers with water; fold bottom corner over filling, roll up tightly twice, fold in sides and roll up tightly. Place on prepared pan; spray generously with cooking spray. 4. Bake egg rolls 15 minutes; turn and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve with sauces for dipping, if desired. Approximate nutritional values per serving (2 egg rolls): 213 Calories, 5g Fat (1g Saturated), 39mg Cholesterol, 443mg Sodium, 28g Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 3g Sugars, 2g Added Sugars, 13g Protein

Cheeseburger Soup

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes • Serves: 8

1 pound ground chuck 4 slices bacon, chopped 1 small white onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. dry mustard 1¼ cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese ½ cup chopped American cheese singles 1 Roma tomato, chopped ⅓ cup seasoned croutons 3 Tbsp. chopped dill pickles 2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper hot sauce

1. In large saucepot, cook ground chuck over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until browned, breaking up ground chuck with side of spoon; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. In same saucepot, cook bacon over medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally; with slotted spoon, transfer to separate paper towel-lined plate. 2. To drippings in saucepot, add onion; cook 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add flour; cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add broth, cream and dry mustard; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, whisking frequently. Add 1 cup Cheddar cheese, American cheese and ground chuck; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese melts. Makes about 6 cups. 3. Serve topped with bacon, tomato, croutons, pickles, remaining ¼ cup Cheddar cheese and hot sauce.

Approximate nutritional values per serving: 356 Calories, 28g Fat (15g Saturated), 99mg Cholesterol, 900mg Sodium, 7g Carbohydrates, 0g Fiber, 3g Sugars, 0g Added Sugars, 19g Protein

Better-For-You Pizza Mushroom Poppers

Prep: 25 minutes plus cooling • Bake: 25 minutes • Serves: 6

Nonstick cooking spray 18 cremini mushrooms, caps separated from stems, stems finely chopped ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 slices lower sodium turkey bacon, chopped 2 Tbsp. finely chopped green bell pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced ⅓ cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese ¼ cup low sodium marinara sauce ⅛ tsp. salt ⅛ tsp. ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 Tbsp. whole wheat panko breadcrumbs Chopped fresh rosemary for garnish (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 375°; spray rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. Place mushroom caps, gill side up, on prepared pan; drizzle with broth. Bake mushrooms 15 minutes; reserve any liquid remaining in caps. 2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. 3. In same skillet with drippings, cook bell pepper and mushroom stems 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add reserved liquid; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly; stir in mozzarella cheese, sauce, salt and black pepper. Makes about ¾ cup. 4. In small bowl, stir Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Fill mushrooms with bell pepper mixture; top with bacon and breadcrumb mixture. Bake mushrooms 10 minutes or until golden brown and heated through; sprinkle with rosemary, if desired. Makes 18 poppers. Approximate nutritional values per serving (3 poppers): 72 Calories, 5g Fat (1g Saturated), 8mg Cholesterol, 161mg Sodium, 4g Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 2g Sugars, 0g Added Sugars, 4g Protein