Looking for something different for your next football game food? Try bacon roasted Brussels sprout nachos with cheese, peppers, and a garlic beet crema. 

I am about to say something controversial. I like Super Bowl food more than Thanksgiving food. Gasp! Don’t come at me. What’s not to love? A giant spread of finger foods, dips, pizza, and chili. It’s informal.

Paper plates and napkins, for the love of God! No required sit down meal. No heavy, fancy foods or complicated meal planning. The only thing that sucks is everybody has to return to real life the next day.

Can we start a petition for Super Bowl Saturday?

Don’t get it twisted. I actually care very little about the game being played. It’s all about the food for me!

I also love the evolution of buffalo chicken. Today, I am serving up classic baked chicken wings using the method here. I am just sticking to basic buffalo sauce though. Buffalo chicken can now be found in salads, dips, on pizza, and in tacos. It is the Super Bowl gift that keeps on giving.

In addition to wings this year, I am also making mini copycat White Castle sliders and ham and pimento cheese sliders. All my guests are bringing some sort of Mexican dip, so I shied away from my first true love, nachos.

Originally, I had planned to make these bacon roasted Brussels sprout nachos with beet crema. 

Friday, during the polar vortex, I decided to roast the sprouts ahead of time. The “glorious” smell that filled the house prompted Mike to tell me that these were not Super Bowl nachos.

The veggies are roasted in bacon fat! How is that not Super Bowl worthy?

Mike wanted to keep this Super Bowl more traditional. Easy. Basic. He never lets me have any fun. But, you guys! You can all make this epic platter of sheet-pan nachos and impress your guests with all the different flavors and colors. If you want, feel free to add the bacon to the nachos with a fried egg or two for an added bonus.

Happy noshing and snacking and finger-licking today friends. Thanksgiving who? Amiright?

Roasted Brussels Sprout Nachos

Yield: serves 4-6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Bacon roasted Brussels sprouts on top of tortilla chips with lots of peppers, cheese, and a garlic beet crema.

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Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 16oz fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 bag of tortilla chips
• 8oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 6oz shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
• 1/4 cup fresno peppers or mini red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp pickled red onions
• fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp crumbled queso fresco
• garlic beet crema (recipe below)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a medium baking sheet with foil. Arrange bacon on the sheet. Bake bacon for 15 minutes. Remove and transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
2. Carefully toss the Brussels sprouts with the bacon fat, oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the Brussels sprouts so they are all cut side down. Roast for 15-20 minutes until deeply golden and crisp.
3. Remove Brussels sprouts from baking sheet, transfer to a cutting board, Slice each sprout in half. Remove the foil from the baking sheet.
4. Add chips to baking sheet. Layer the Brussels sprouts, peppers, cheese, and onions throughout the chips. Bake the nachos in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
5. Top with cilantro and beet cream and then serve.

Notes

I usually just snack on the bacon, but feel free to crumble it and add it back to the top of the nachos before baking.

Simple Garlic Beet Crema

Yield: 3/4 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Hot pink garlic beet crema perfect for nachos or tacos.

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cooked minced beet (fresh beet or canned beet is ok)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup light sour cream or nonfat plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 'salt

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add more salt or lime to taste.
2. Store in a small squeeze bottle for easy use.