Vegetarian, Gluten Free & Vegan Super Bowl Party Recipes

Do you know what you're making for your Super Bowl party this weekend?  Well, if you need some ideas, here are some of my Super Bowl party favorites! Enjoy!

--  Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Skins
    Vegetarian and gluten free with vegan option

--  Parmesan Rosemary Snack Rolls
    Vegetarian with a vegan option

Smoked Gouda Potato Puffs

After making the Bacon and Cheddar and Broccoli and Cheddar potato skins, I had a bowl full of potato insides and wanted to make more than just mashed potatoes.

I remembered that when I worked in hotel catering we had these delicious little puff pasties stuffed with potatoes we would serve. Luckily, I had some Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry in the freezer, as well as some smoked Gouda and figured I would mess around with a recipe.

They came so tasty! Warm, flaky and just the perfect amount of cheese. The smoked Gouda added flavor, but didn't make the potatoes cheesy. If you want to make this vegan, just skip the cheese.

Loveless Cafe Preserve

There's been a lot of talk, especially lately, about eating real food with real ingredients. Well, this blackberry preserve, from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, is the real deal.

There are two ingredients - sugar and blackberries!

It was given to me last February, along with their peach preserve and biscuit mix, as part of swag bag while on a dog food company sponsored trip to Nashville. But, I just opened it this past weekend.

It's extremely tasty -- not too sweet, but perfect on gluten-free toast or biscuits. And, I love that it is made with all 'real' ingredients. You can see the blackberries in the preserve!

I think it would be perfect in a cookie, but I'm too exhausted this week to even think about baking. :)

Do you have a favorite preserve?

Bacon and Cheddar Potato Skins

Who doesn't love bacon? Well, except for us vegetarians and vegans. ;-)

Here's the thing, I still cook meat for other people. Just like they respect my food choices and provide me with a vegetarian dish when I go to their house, I always try to provide my meat-eating friends with something, too.

These bacon and cheddar potato skins are gluten free, and pretty easy to whip up.

Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Skins

Potato skins are one of those foods that just screams football and party. But, until recently, I thought they were really hard to make at home. Surprisingly, they are not!

Some people scoop the insides of the potato almost completely to the skin, but I like to leave just a little bit inside for an added layer of flavor. These are gluten free and vegetarian. If you have a vegan guest, just skip the cheese on several of them.

Making a Baked Potato in the Microwave

I don't know about you, but I never seem to have time to make a baked potato the traditional way, especially when I'm using it in a recipe. Microwaving them is so much easier!

Here's how to do it:

Happy Hour at Havana Central in Times Square

I first learned of Havana Central several years ago when I was working for Fox News. We went there several times for happy hour, but I hadn't been back in at least two years until yesterday.

We went there because they have a fabulous happy hour: $6 mojitos, $7 sangrias, $6 margaritas, $4 beers and $5 house wine, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Yes, that's still a little expensive, but it's New York City, and more importantly it's Time Square. Those are the prices.

But, the thing that makes this Havana Central different when it comes to their drinks, is that at least in my experience, they're always made very well and taste perfect. Mojitos come in a variety of tropical flavors listed on one of three chalk vertical chalk boards high above the bar. {The other two list their appetizer samples and beer selection.}