With the Superbowl just two days away, you may be trying to decide what to bring to the Superbowl Party you’ll attend. That is, of course, unless you’re lucky enough to be ATTENDING the game like our friend Chris. (Cross that one off the bucket list!) For the rest of us normal folks, here’s a lightened up version of Buffalo Chicken Dip that will keep you feeling light as a feather as you cheer on your team or analyze those million-dollar-a-minute commercials airing during the game.

Personally, I like the recipe below exactly as written, but when we tested this with some friends recently they had some suggestions. And since they’re practically Buffalo Chicken Dip connoisseurs I wanted to share those with you as well. First up, this version is a little less gooey than the original recipe – if you want it to be a little more gooey you can use 1/3 cup ranch dressing (liquid) instead of the powdered dip mix and add some extra cheese before baking (listed as optional in the recipe). Second,  if you’re accustomed to bleu cheese with your buffalo chicken, you can sub 1/3 cup of bleu cheese dressing (liquid) for the ranch.  Both of these substitutions will increase the calories and fat a bit but the dish will still be far healthier than the original, and you may love it even more!

Enjoy the game…

Light Buffalo Chicken Dip

adapted from Nourish and Flourish blog

serves 8

Ingredients:

2 – 4 oz. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded into small pieces

1 – 6 oz. container non-fat plain Greek yogurt

4-6 oz.  low-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise (omit if you use 6 oz. cream cheese)

1/4 – 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (use to desired spiciness)

1-2 tablespoons Ranch dip mix (use organic if you can find it)

3 oz.  2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Mix yogurt, cream cheese, mayonnaise (if using), hot sauce, and ranch dressing mix in a bowl until smooth. Stir in cheese and chicken.

2. Spoon mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish or pie plate. Top with extra cheddar if desired.

3. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. You can also bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

4. Serve warm with celery sticks, blanched broccoli, pita chips or whatever you prefer.

This morning in my monthly Fox19 segment I shared ideas for healthy Superbowl treats! We had a lively discussion among the producers and crew about the things on my display table. (Off camera, we even got the morning show producer to try two foods he’d never had before – hummus and raw peppers!) Love it.   Here’s the clip if you’d rather watch than read. (Note you will not be able to view on a mobile device.) Otherwise…on to the tips!

The simplest way to healthy-up your Superbowl snack table is to reduce the amount of or make substitutions for the highest fat or sugar ingredients. I shared several examples today:

1) Halve the cheese – most recipes go way overboard on the amount of cheese they include. One easy approach is to use half of whatever the recipe says – unless it’s already  a lightened up recipe!

2) Use nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in dips – it’s almost indistinguishable once you add the flavorings and this swap turns the dip into a health food!

3) Substitute veggie crumbles for ground beef in chili or Sloppy Joes. You’re not really tasting the beef in chili- you’re tasting the tomatoes and spices and beans….so get the texture and protein of ground beef without the fat this way. (You can find veggie crumbles in the refrigerated organic section of the grocery store near the tofu.)

4) Use vegetables instead of chips as dippers for hummus, guacamole, or other dips. I used red, yellow, and green pepper rings with hummus  on the set today.

5) Substitute stevia for sugar in dressings and marinades. That’s exactly what I did in the bean salsa I made during the segment. I’m including the recipe here so you can make it for your own Superbowl party this weekend!

Superbowl Bean Salsa (aka Texas Caviar)

serves: many

Ingredients:
1 can black eyed peas
1 can pinto OR hot chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 16 oz bag of frozen corn
1 small jar chopped pimento
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced small
1 c. diced red, green or yellow peppers
4-6 finely diced jalapeno peppers (seeds removed)
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Dressing Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. water
3/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. canola oil
2 Tbsp. Truvia sweetener

Baked tortilla chips or other chips of your choice

Directions:
Drain and rinse the first four ingredients in a colander or strainer. Transfer to a large bowl and add next 6 ingredients. Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the dressing ingredients to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Pour over beans and vegetables and stir to coat. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to 24). Drain most liquid before serving with chips.