(Family Features) Gear up for a game day experience to remember with satisfying snacks that energize your crowd. As almost everyone’s favorite part of homegating, the foods you serve can elevate your watch party from benchwarmer to all star status.

Delicious snacks that include salsa offer an easy-to-make option that keeps fans cheering the entire game. According to the Game Day Eats Report from Fresh Cravings, 22% of guests would insist on running out to pick up salsa if it wasn’t available for the feast; 18% would even be devastated and consider leaving.

Consider these Stuffed Peppers from chef Anthony Serrano, a simple snack he makes for his family on game day for a crowd-pleasing solution that scores high fives from the opening play to the final whistle.  

Made with the bold flavors of Fresh Cravings Salsa and its combination of vine-ripened tomatoes, crisp vegetables, zesty peppers and spices, it’s a vibrant way to add some authentic homemade taste to the table.

Visit FreshCravings.com for more homegating appetizers and snacks.
 

Stuffed Peppers

Recipe courtesy of chef Anthony Serrano

• 6          bell peppers, halved lengthwise and deseeded
• 1          tablespoon avocado oil
• 1          teaspoon sea salt
• 16        ounces Fresh Cravings Chunky Style Salsa
• 2          cups riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
• 2          cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2          pounds 80% lean ground beef, cooked, lightly seasoned and drained
• 1          bunch cilantro, chopped

1. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Brush both sides of bell peppers with avocado oil and season with salt. Grill peppers on each side 2-3 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Add salsa, riced cauliflower and 1 cup cheddar cheese to cooked ground beef. Stir and return to heat until cheese begins to melt.
4. Place bell peppers on sheet pan or casserole dish. Use large spoon to fill peppers with ground beef mixture. Top stuffed peppers with remaining cheese.
5. Return to grill and grill approximately 15-20 minutes, or until cheese begins to caramelize.
6. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Garnish with cilantro.

Source: Fresh Cravings

(Family Features) Whipping up family favorites all winter long is a perfect activity to keep loved ones warm in the kitchen while avoiding the bitter chill outdoors. Delicious, heartwarming snacks offer a simple and savory way to bring everyone in from the cold while enjoying comforting flavors together.

Lean on beloved ingredients like go-to RAGÚ sauces when it’s time to come together for quick bites. The possibilities are nearly endless with delicious recipes using classics like the RAGÚ Old World Style Traditional or RAGÚ Simply Traditional options.

Hearty flavors can take away the chill of winter in recipes like Snowman Pizza Bombs, Polenta Bites and Baked Tomato Goat Cheese Dip. Easy to make and fun to create together, these simple snacks are perfect for a cold afternoon spent together in the kitchen or watching a family-movie marathon.

Originally started by an Italian mother more than 80 years ago, RAGÚ sauce, known for its distinctive yellow cap, is the perfect have-on-hand pantry staple to help you create easy and delicious home cooking. As an invaluable resource and family favorite since 1937, RAGÚ sauces easily allow anyone, regardless of gender or culinary skillset, to “cook like a mother” and serve up delicious, homemade favorites. The brand’s rich heritage and array of sauce choices ensures that your next cold-weather day spent inside will be elevated with family-favorite snacks and easy and taste-tempting meals made with RAGÚ.

Find more recipes perfect for warming up this winter at Ragu.com.

Baked Tomato Goat Cheese Dip

Recipe courtesy of Marzia Aziz of "Little Spice Jar"
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4-6

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups RAGÚ Simply Traditional Sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, divided
• 1/ 4 cup fresh basil, chopped, divided
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 log (10-10 1/2 ounces) goat cheese, softened at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
• kosher salt, divided
• pepper
• 1 large baguette, sliced on bias
• blistered tomatoes, for serving (optional)

1. Position one rack in upper third of oven and one in lower third. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray small, round baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Add sauce to small bowl. Grate in two garlic cloves then add 1/8 cup basil and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine then pour sauce into baking dish.
3. Smash goat cheese log into ball. Place ball between two sheets plastic wrap. Using hands, flatten cheese into thick, round disc about 1 inch smaller in diameter than baking dish. Remove goat cheese from plastic wrap and place in center of sauce. Drizzle cheese with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, kosher salt and pepper. Bake on lower rack, uncovered, 20-25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is warmed through.
4. Place baguette slices on baking sheet. Drizzle or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake crostini on upper rack 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. When bread is done, remove from oven, cut last garlic clove in half and rub cut side on bread.
5. Top dip with remaining basil and blistered tomatoes, if desired, and serve with crostini.

Note: To make blistered tomatoes: Heat skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add 1 pint cherry tomatoes to dry skillet and let sit 1 minute. Lower heat to low, toss tomatoes with 2 teaspoons olive oil and cook 2-3 minutes, or until tomatoes are about to burst. Remove from heat; sprinkle with pinch of salt and pepper.

Polenta Bites

• 1 tube (18 ounces) polenta
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 jar (24 ounces) RAGÚ Chunky Tomato, Garlic and Onion Sauce
• 1 package (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella
• 2 sprigs, rosemary, destemmed and chopped
• 3 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 block (8 ounces) hard Parmesan cheese

1. Cut polenta into slices. In skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; fry polenta slices 10-12 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown.
2. In saucepan over medium heat, warm sauce.
3. Place polenta slices on tray and sprinkle with mozzarella. Place 1/2 teaspoon warm sauce on each slice then sprinkle with chopped rosemary and basil. Grate hard Parmesan onto each slice for topping.

Snowman Pizza Bombs

• 1 tube (11.8 ounces) pizza dough
• 1 jar (24 ounces) RAGÚ Old World Style Traditional Sauce
• 1 package (6 ounces) pepperoni slices
• 1 package (6 ounces) Canadian bacon slices
• 1 package (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 package (8 ounces) mozzarella cheese slices

Decorative vegetables (optional):

• multicolored sweet peppers
• olives
• spinach
• mushrooms
• cherry tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut pizza dough into 12 squares. On each square, place 1/2 teaspoon sauce and evenly top with pepperoni, Canadian bacon and cheddar cheese.
3. Pinch corners of dough together to round into balls then place in muffin tins.
4. In small bowl, mix melted butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning; brush generously over dough balls.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
6. Remove from muffin tin and carefully shape dough balls into circles; place on baking sheet. Cover with mozzarella slices and bake until melted.
7. Create snowman faces by decorating each with peppers, olives, spinach, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, if desired. Use remaining sauce for dipping.

Source: RAGÚ

(Family Features) Burgers and dogs may be typical game day grub, but a lineup that never changes can get tiresome a few weeks into the season. Infuse new energy and homemade favorites into your game day menu so you can enjoy great games and good eats for a winning combination.

Explore new flavors. Add variety by building your meal around a different main dish, like ribs or pulled pork instead of burgers. Or invite guests to get in on the action and offer a DIY pizza or taco bar with a wide range of toppings for the ultimate custom plate. Then adapt your side dishes to fit the theme, like adding a barbecue spice seasoning to your party mix, for example, or offering a chipotle-style dip for veggies and chips.

Add an unexpected twist. If you prefer a more traditional menu, there’s no reason to abandon all your favorite game day fare. Instead, reimagine a popular dish with a special or unexpected ingredient. For example, this recipe features a homemade pizza topped with creamy ranch dressing. An option like Litehouse Homestyle Ranch has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup and is gluten free. The dressing is a versatile addition to your game day spread since you can use it to top off everything from pizza and fries to tacos, burgers and more. For easy serving, look for the 20-ounce squeeze bottle, or opt for a glass jar or dip tub, whichever your recipe requires.

Don’t forget dessert. A good game requires lots of savory, hearty foods, but by the fourth quarter, you’re likely to start craving sweet victory and a sweet treat to go along with the win. Easy individual desserts are a great bet, that way you can grab a quick bite and get back to the screen before you miss any action. Think along the lines of finger foods like marshmallow cereal bars, brownies and cookies to offer a little something for everyone.

Find more ideas for your game day gathering at LitehouseFoods.com.

Homemade Pizza Recipe

Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

• 1          ball pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
• 1          jar pizza sauce
• pepperoni (optional)
• sausage (optional)
• ham or Canadian bacon (optional)
• black olives (optional)
• mushrooms (optional)
• peppers (optional)
• 1          package (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 1          squeeze bottle (20 ounces) Litehouse Homestyle Ranch dressing

1. Heat oven to 425° F.
2. Prepare dough by pressing it onto a pizza pan or pizza stone. Spread pizza sauce over crust and top with pepperoni, sausage, ham or Canadian bacon, black olives, mushrooms and peppers, if desired. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top of pizza. Bake 20-30 minutes.
3. Top with ranch dressing before serving.

Note: Toppings can be substituted as desired.

Source: Litehouse Foods

A perfect way to entertain around the table

(Family Features) With springtime in full bloom, brunch is the perfect way to entertain friends and family for nearly any upcoming occasion or celebration. Take advantage of the budding season with quality time spent with loved ones, more outdoor experiences and wholesome nutrition for the whole family, starting with a delicious morning meal around the table.

When it comes to the food they serve their families, moms want to provide good nutrition, especially for their kids, to help them grow up healthy and strong. Serving a nutritious meal each morning is one way to help kids get a good start to the day, so they can be their best in school, play and any other activities the day brings.

Whether moms know it or not, they are powerful role models for their children’s health and nutrition. When moms set the example and eat nutritious meals themselves, kids notice. For instance, according to a study from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, moms who drink milk are more likely to have kids who drink milk, which is a household staple that provides important nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Setting the example for quality nutrition can be made easy with a delicious meal served with milk to celebrate any occasion this season with guests of all ages.

This simple egg casserole is the perfect excuse to bring the family together and start a beautiful spring day with a wholesome meal and quality time together. For more recipes and reasons to bring the family together, visit milklife.com.

Easy Egg Casserole

Servings: 4

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup lean ham, cubed
• 1 cup frozen seasoned potatoes with onions and peppers
• 3/4 cup frozen spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup lowfat cheddar or Swiss cheese, shredded
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat 8-by-8-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Arrange ham, potatoes, spinach and cheese in bottom of casserole dish. In large bowl, beat eggs and milk together and pour over ingredients in casserole dish.
3. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Serve immediately.
4. Pair each serving with 8-ounce glass of milk.

Nutritional information per serving: 350 calories; 9 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 350 mg cholesterol; 32 g protein; 34 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 630 mg sodium; 500 mg calcium (50% of daily value). Nutrition figures based on using fat free milk, and include an 8-ounce glass of milk.

Source: MilkPEP

Tex-Mex Layered Bean Salad

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: up to 8 hours
Makes 8 to 10 servings (about 12 cups)

• 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1 bag (16 ounces) iceberg lettuce, carrot and cabbage salad mix
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) READ 3-bean salad, drained
• 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup crumbled tortilla chips (optional)
• 1 small avocado, sliced (optional)

1. In a 3-1/2 quart salad bowl or soufflé dish (preferably straight-sided) layer salad as follows: bell pepper, onion, lettuce, cheese and 3-bean salad.
2. Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream and chipotle pepper. Spread over top of salad. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
3. Just before serving, sprinkle top with chips and sliced avocado, if desired. Toss to serve.

Nutrition information (1/8 servings): 195 calories; 5 g protein; 18 g carbohydrate; 11 g fat; 476 mg sodium; 26 mg cholesterol; 3 g dietary fiber; 1 mg iron; 149 mg potassium;3584 IU Vitamin A; 149 mg calcium.

Note: READ 4-Bean Salad can be substituted for 3-Bean Salad.

Photo and recipe courtesy of READ Bean Salads (Seneca Foods Corporation).

Source: READ Bean Salads (Seneca Foods Corporation)