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Bariatrics Recipe Corner: March Madness Munchies

WakeMed Health & Hospitals Bariatric Recipes, Bariatric Surgery/Weight Loss

It’s hoops time and if you are prepping for a weekend of watching basketball, we’ve got a few recipes that are a slam dunk! These recipes are crowd pleasers, bariatric-friendly, and easy to tweak to meet the wants and needs of both you and your non-bariatric friends. Try Perfect Pimiento Cheese, Cauliflower Loaded Fiesta Nachos, or Buffalo Chicken Casserole Bites.

Perfect Pimiento Cheese

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups reduced fat cheddar, grated however you like
  • 4 ounces non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
  • 4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
  • 4 ounces pimientos
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Gently fold together all ingredients, and you’re done!
  2. Be careful not to over mix, or you will end up with a strange paste instead of the desired varied texture that is pimiento cheese.
  3. If you’re feeling spicy, add in a dash of hot sauce.

Tips:

  • *It is recommended that you grate your own cheese and not use pre-shredded. Bagged shredded cheese is typically coated to avoid it sticking to itself and it doesn’t meld quite as nicely into the spread.
  • *Serve with cucumber slices, carrot sticks, celery, etc. for those limiting their carb intake.
  • If you’re serving a varied crowd, feel free to add in other dip vehicles and let guests make their own choices about their food. Providing options might throw them off your scent, and they won’t notice the healthy swap in your pimento cheese.

Cauliflower Loaded Fiesta Nachos

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper, to taste

TOPPINGS

  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup rotisserie chicken (or 1 large chicken breast)
  • 1/2 cup pinto beans, canned (or black beans)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced
  • fresh cilantro, to taste
  • Pico de gallo
  • Special sauce: (1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt + 2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and rub a baking sheet with olive oil.
  2. Prep cauliflower by cutting the head into fourths. Then, slice into chip-like thin pieces and place on pan.
  3. Drizzle cauliflower with olive oil and then season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to coat.
  4. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes.
  5. Remove cauliflower and then flip. Add cheddar cheese, rotisserie chicken, beans, red onion, jalapeno, and fresh cilantro.
  6. Bake again for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Serve with fresh pico de gallo and special sauce!

Buffalo Chicken Casserole Bites

If spicy buffalo is your thing, give this one a try. A mini muffin variety might be even easier when thinking in terms of a pot luck type party spread. This has all the familiar flavors and a fun texture without the greasy, skin covered, time-consuming, messy mess of actual wings or the calorie-heavy traditional buffalo chicken dip.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 cup diced carrots, about 2-3 medium size
  • 2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1 cup buffalo style hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)
  • 1/4 cup light or yogurt based ranch dressing
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 3 eggs

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook spaghetti squash in a 400° oven for 20-25 minutes until tender.
  2. While squash is cooking, sauté the diced onion and carrots for 5-7 minutes- until softened and mostly cooked through.
  3. Shred cooked squash with a fork and place in a large bowl.
  4. Use a clean towel and press the excess liquid out- it doesn’t have to be super dry. You may not have much liquid to remove, don’t worry, different squashes are just different! This just helps make the casserole not too watery.
  5. Add the onion mixture to the bowl along with the chicken, hot sauce, light ranch, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well until combined.
  6. Add the eggs, mix well, and pour mixture into the prepared pan, tin, or dish.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

*Serve with carrots or celery like you would wings to give you a texture and flavor complement. Greek Yogurt based ranch or blue cheese dip is also a good add on.

Bariatric Surgery at WakeMed

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