Wellness for the Family: Healthy Tailgate Dishes

Tailgates are filled with food, drinks, and games, but we don’t play when it comes to food here on ‘the four’.

We are checking in with registered dietitian Grace Derocha from to get some healthy tailgate recipes to finish out this football season.

Here they are:

Healthy Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ingredients

• 12 wheat rolls of choice
• ½ lb. of thinly sliced deli ham of choice, try lower-sodium versions
• 12 slices of white cheddar cheese or Gruyere (or favorite cheese of choice)
• Cottage Cheese Mixture
• 2/3 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tsp. all-purpose seasoning

Topping

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted chicken broth
• 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 2 tsp. yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the rolls in half and put on a foil-lined 9×13 baking sheet or baking dish.
2. Blend cottage cheese in a food processor.
3. Stir all-purpose seasoning in it.
4. Spread cottage cheese mixture on both sides of the rolls.
5. Top with slices of ham and pieces of cheese. Cover with tops.
6. Whisk together the butter, broth, poppy seeds, onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
7. Pour mixture over the top of the filled sandwiches.
8. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
10. Cover sandwiches.
11. Bake 15 minutes.
12. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes.

Matcha Donuts with Green Tea Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
• 2/3 cup oil of choice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients (first 5 listed above).
2. In another bowl combine all the wet ingredients (the last 5 listed above).
3. Pour the wet ingredients in the bowl with the dry and mix until just combined.
4. Fill greased donut pan 2/3 full with batter and bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes.
5. For the glaze, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder and 1/4 cup boiling water.
6. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze and allow them to set before serving. These are best the day they are baked. But if you have leftovers, be sure to save them in a sealed container, so the cake doesn’t dry out.

Enjoy!