Football season is finally upon us! There will be many temptations to indulge every Sunday for the rest of the year but don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with a few healthy recipes we have selected for you to try out this season. With snack food being the most popular on football Sundays, we’ve picked three of our top favorite items. Recipes included below. Give them a try and let us know which one you like the best!

GRILLED STUFFED JALAPENOS

iNGREDIENTS

• 2 center-cut bacon slices
• 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese (softened)
• 1 ounce extra-sharp shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup minced green onions
• 14 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TBSP chopped seeded tomato

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Combine crumbled bacon, cheeses, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl, stirring well to combine. Divide cheese mixture evenly to fill the pepper halves. Place peppers, cheese sides up, on grill rack or grill grate coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill peppers 8 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro and tomato.

(Recipe: www.myrecipes.com)

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SWEET POTATO SKINS

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast 
• 1/4 cups olive oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
• 3 whole chipotle pepper minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups spinach half a 10oz bag
• 5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese grated
• chopped cilantro for garnish
• Greek yogurt for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. Place your chicken in a baking dish and rub with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven with the potatoes and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and shred the chicken with a fork or your hands. When the sweet potatoes are done cut in half and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
2. In a medium size bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and wilt the spinach (this can also be done in the microwave). Toss the spinach and shredded chicken together, set aside and keep warm.
4. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a medium size layer of flesh inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own (I reserved the remaining flesh, for another use) and place in a baking dish. Brush the skins with a little of the chipotle sauce and bake for 5-10 minutes until nice and crisp. While the skins bake mix the spinach, chicken and chipotle sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the skins are hot and crisp. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and Greek yogurt if desired.

(Recipe: www.halfbakedharvest.com)

PESTO AND TURKEY CUCUMBER ROLLUPS

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 medium cucumbers (each will yield about 6 slices)
• ¼ cup store-bought basil pesto
• 6 slices GO Veggie Lactose & Soy Free Mozzarella Slices, cut into ½ inch strips
• 6 oz deli smoked turkey breast, shredded
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup spinach, shredded
• salt and pepper, for seasoning

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise on a mandolin at about a 2mm setting. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can always use a vegetable peeler. Place the cucumber slices on parchment paper and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto on each cucumber, then evenly distribute cheese, turkey, bell pepper and spinach on each. Sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper. Roll up and place seam down. If you want an even nicer presentation, you can stick a toothpick in the middle for easy appetizers! Serve with extra pesto or sauce of choice. Makes about 18 rolls.

(Recipe: www.ambitiouskitchen.com)