Game Day Food You Can Feel Good About: Kick-Off Tomato Vegetable Mac-n-Cheese

Our favorite part of game day is gathering together with our friends and eating good food.  Whether or not you’re hosting your own game day party, or going to a friend’s home, make some game day food you will feel good about eating.  Your best bet: foods rich in fiber and protein (including plant-based protein), good fats, and plenty of vegetables.

Here are some ideas for game day:

·       Olive oil popcorn

·       Dips with baked chips, like our Roasted Carrot Harissa Dip or Creamy Spinach Dip

·       A baked potato & baked sweet potato bar, with all the fixings

·       Game Day Turkey Chili and Sweet Potato and Bean Chili

·       Vegetarian Muffaletta

This year, we’re adding this Kick-Off Tomato Mac-n-Cheese to our menu.  With cauliflower, spicy peppers and canned tomatoes, it’s a great way to add vegetables to your menu without the carrot sticks.  Making it with whole wheat pasta boosts the fiber content.  And the sauce gets richness and creaminess from whole milk and a little bit of cheese, but it’s not a mac-n-cheese that will weigh you down.  You’ll still have enough energy to cheer!

We’d love to hear from you! What are the game day foods you feel good about eating?

Kick-Off Tomato Mac-n-Cheese

1 pound small whole wheat pasta, such as chiocciole

2 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 spicy pepper (like a cayenne or jalapeno), thinly sliced

1 30-ounce can whole fire-roasted tomatoes

6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions.  Drain.

In a large pot with a heavy bottom (like enameled cast iron), melt butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.  Add the flour and whisk together with the butter to make a smooth paste.  Cook the flour and butter for about 2 minutes.

Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly to make a smooth sauce.  Bring the milk mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the salt and oregano. 

Add the cauliflower and spicy pepper and let the cauliflower and pepper cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, until the cauliflower just starts to become tender. 

Stir in the canned tomatoes, breaking up large pieces of tomatoes as you put them into the pot.  Let that mixture simmer together for a few minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted.  Pour the cooked pasta into the sauce and turn to coat all of the pasta in the sauce.

Pour the pasta mixture into a large baking pan and cover the top with the parmesan cheese.  Place the pasta in the oven and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until it is bubbling and top is golden brown.  Let the pasta sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve this while you’re cheering for your favorite team with the people you love!     

Game Day Turkey Chili

I love sporting events. For the most part, I don’t really understand the rules or know any players (with the exception of hockey), but I always love an excuse to get a group of people together and enjoy good food.

Photo courtesy of our friends at NatureBox

When most people gather around for Superbowl Sunday, it’s typical to coincide the event with nachos, burgers, traditional chili, deep dish pizza – typically anything that piles on the cheese and meat and skimps on the plant-based proteins, veggies, healthy fats, and whole grains. But there certainly is a way you can have your pizza and eat it, too. We've talked about this before here.


What most people may not realize is that it’s actually quite easy to serve up nutritious versions of these classic football favorites while also satisfying even the heartiest of appetites. All it takes is simply "shifting the plate" to give the plant-based foods more of a starring role. A lot of these good-for-you ingredients add tons of flavor while also dishing out some beneficial nutrition. Take this chili recipe (below), for example, which features mushrooms, beans, and avocado. We think it's a winner!

Photo courtesy of our friends at NatureBox

Superbowl Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 large bell peppers, chopped

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

10 oz mushrooms, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 ½  teaspoons cumin

1 pound ground turkey

12 oz Lager beer

2 14.5oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.    Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms until the onions turn golden brown and the carrots begin to soften – about 8 to 10 minutes.

2.     Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and stir 1 minute.

3.     Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until meat loses its raw color – about 3 minutes.

4.    Add the beer. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

5.     Add tomatoes with their juices and the three kinds of beans. Simmer uncovered and stir occasionally until chili thickens – about 20 minutes.

Garnish chili with shredded cheddar cheese, non-fat plain Greek yogurt, avocado, guacamole, or our Avocado YogurtDip.

These seasonal tips &recipe were featured in the January 18th issue of Health & Family Guide for The Santa Clarita Valley Signal. For more “In Season” tips & recipes (I'm talking Valentine's Day next!), pick up the next issue of The Health & Family Guide on February 8th.