How to Host a Low Fat Game Day Party

My mom has always been a big sports fan, and on any given game day, especially Sunday during football and hockey season, we have at least two games to watch.  I've even seen her cheer (hardcore cheer!) during a curling match on TV....It wasn't the Olympics!  When we were house hunting, we had to find the house that had the perfect place for my Mom's TV!!!  Yes, it's her TV!!! haha.  The house had to have a layout for our "Game Cave."  Oh, don't get me started on Hockey Playoffs!!!!  We get super excited when the Carolina Hurricanes or Boston Bruins are playing hockey!!!!

We LOVE Football!!!

How to Keep our "game food" Lower in Fat.

So, we love to cut a few corners, here and there, to save a lot of calories.  Now, when it's a BIG game, this is a great trick because you can celebrate with an extra beer...or two...and not feel bad.  Unless you're a Cleveland Browns fan like we are, you ALWAYS feel bad when it's game day!  (Side Note:  All Gonzalez had to do was kick the ball!!!.... I'm sorry, this made me remember the first two weeks of the season and, if you're a Browns fan, you know exactly why it's still in my head!!!!  And will be for years to come!!!)  Ok, back to cutting a few calories to make one kick butt game day spread without feeling so guilty on Monday.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

First thing we LOVE to make are Buffalo Chicken Meatballs!  These meatballs use fat-free ground Chicken and chopped mushrooms.  Don't worry, you don't taste the mushrooms, they add moisture to the meatball.  Chopped celery and a small piece of blue cheese round out this bite-sized buffalo chicken wing dish in a meatball.  After they cook, all you need to do is toss in buffalo wing sauce and serve with your favorite wing dipping sauce.  I actually don't even think they need any extra dressing/sauce, but sometimes our guests like to have it on the side.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza Knots

Another favorite game day snack is the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza Knot!  This recipe takes everything you love about a big juicy bacon cheeseburger and wraps it all up in a crispy pizza dough.  We use fat-free turkey instead of beef. Trust me, you can't tell the difference. Bacon gives these knots plenty of juice and flavor.  For a more traditional low-fat pizza knot, try these Cheesy Meatball Pizza Knots.

Veggie Tray 

We always like to include a veggie tray for our game day party.  This is a great way to fill up and munch without feeling any guilt.  Also, if you have leftovers, just throw them in a zip lock bag, and you will have a great snack for the rest of the week.  Since most people LOVE their veggies with dip, we get a packet of dry ranch dip mix and a container of LOW-FAT sour cream.  I'm not sure why, but in my opinion, Daisy brand Low Fat Sour cream tastes like the full-fat stuff when mixed with the ranch dip mix and a little hot sauce.  I actually prefer this mixture over the full-fat version.  No, we don't get paid by Daisy, we just really love their sour cream.  "Um, Hello, Daisy?  We love your products...Call Me!"  🙂

Mashed Potato Bar 

Yup, a mashed potato bar with ALL the toppings.  For a little splurge on your game day table, add a Mashed Potato Martini Bar.    Mashed potatoes aren't necessarily low-fat.  They really are a treat that we don't like to "cut" too many calories.  Our whole thing is to cut calories and fat but keep all the flavor you love in those traditional dishes.  Mashed potatoes can't really be changed too much AND still keep their integrity as really delicious mashed potatoes.  This is so fun to serve in a martini glass for two reasons:

1.  Your guests can grab a glass, add mashed potatoes, and top it with cheese, onions, and bacon bits.
2. The small glass controls the amount of mashed potatoes per serving without even knowing it.  This is a great trick to make you feel like you're getting a lot.

Our game classics. 

• Deviled eggs made with reduced-fat mayo, mustard, and a little cayenne pepper (we had to add some spice)
• Macaroni and Cheese Bites - My idea was to add two (not one) Habanero peppers!! Ok it was a little too much pepper even for us haha!  But they were yummy, and the heat caused me to eat less!
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Grilled Beer Bratwurst
• aaannnddd a "Go Browns" and "Go Pats" Chocolate Chip Cookie.  We probably should have skipped the cookie cakes...both of our teams lost!  I blame the cookie!.... and the kicker!  And everyone knows you should not play football in 90-degree weather!!!