Gluten-Free Super Bowl Snacks

As a lifelong football fan I’ve always loved Super Bowl Sunday. Championship games are exciting in every sport, but there’s something particularly special about the Super Bowl. I think it’s because there’s only one game instead of a series, so everything is at stake in a single go. Plus you get to see all the most creative TV ads of the year – Super Bowl Sunday is the only time I actually watch commercials instead of skipping over them – and then there are the snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. Chips and dips, pizza, wings, nachos, subs (or hoagies, or heroes, or grinders depending on where you live), guac, salsa, snack mix and sliders, usually all washed down with your favorite carbonated beverage. It’s enough to make your head spin, particularly if that beverage is of the alcoholic variety.

If you’re familiar with my recipes you know that I tend toward the lighter side of things – heavy, fried food just isn’t my style and many of the standards you’ll find in a party spread don’t appeal to me. Wings, for example, are a game-day classic, but I’m really not a fan (though I was always happy to inhale the celery with blue cheese that accompanied the basket whenever my friends ordered them back in college). Pizza? Love the stuff. Really, truly love it. But I rarely indulge in it, and when I do it’s a meal unto itself, not one option of many, crammed onto an overcrowded dining table or kitchen counter as the cheese congeals by the minute. (Plus I grew up eating New York pizza so I have very clear and strong opinions about what constitutes a worthy slice or pie, and since no such commercially available gluten-free incarnation exists to my knowledge, I have to make it myself from scratch. Pizza is an occasion for me, not a party snack.) Massive deli sandwiches? Again, not my style. I’m all for a good pan bagnat or panino on homemade gluten-free bread every so often, but a loaf that’s several feet long, loaded with multiple types of meat and cheese, doused in dressing or mayo (or both) and growing soggier by the minute is not calling my name.

So what do I want to eat on Super Bowl Sunday? Mostly dips with chips and fresh veggies, maybe a really good rendition of nachos fresh from the oven, and flatbread with an assortment of toppings, cut into small squares for ease of handling and inhaling. Simple, super-delicious  snacks that won’t weigh you down, offered in a variety of flavor options to satisfy a diverse crowd. I’m not hosting a Super Bowl party this year since I usually only do it when my beloved New York Giants are playing [sniff], but I always whip up a few of my favorite snacks to take with me to someone else’s house or to nosh on while I watch at home. Today I’m sharing the recipes for several tried and true favorites – follow the link below each photo for the accompanying recipe. Enjoy the game, and happy snacking. (Go Birds!)

My Smoky Black Bean Dip with Chipotle and Cilantro is rich, spicy, and totally addictive. You might want to make a double batch.

Fresh basil and good balsamic vinegar round out the delicious flavor of my Tuscan White Bean Dip with Roasted Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato. It’s vegan and dairy-free too!

My Paleo Roasted Cauliflower “Hummus” doesn’t contain beans, but it’s still a hearty, satisfying, and super tasty dip. It also happens to be vegan!

Whether you tear this Paleo flatbread into chunks for dipping or turn it into chips, it’s the perfect vehicle for transferring all three of those delicious dips from the bowl to your mouth.