When we decided to throw a Super Bowl party this year, I was a little uneasy.  Not because I was worried that my team wouldn’t win (who’s playing, again?), butbecause several of my guests have specific dietary needs.  Now, I’m no stranger to working around dietary restrictions since I’ve been a vegetarian for all of my adult life and I’m also lactose intolerant.  Working within these bounds has become second nature to me and I don’t have to sit down and consider my menu for a long period of time. But on a big snacking/food day, I need to consider that two of my guests are gluten-intolerant and one guest is allergic to dairy (which is different from merely lactose-intolerant). It’s not uncommon for those restrictions to come together and when they do –yikes!

First thing’s first. I did some more research on gluten intolerance.  I was very pleased to discover that while gluten is in many things, a smart consumer can pin down easy to find gluten-free products that are in most grocery stores. This website lists some commonly used brands that are normally gluten-free, although I’ll make sure to save all packaging and ingredients lists for my gluten intolerant guests to double-check for me.

Second, I did a little math.  After I added up “vegetarian” and “no dairy,” I figured I could kill two (figurative) birds with one stone by making some vegan options.  This way, I could be sure that there were clear options available, and only have to pay special attention to the dead animal carcass meat dishes to make sure no dairy snuck in there.  There are also some fabulous Super Bowl party specific recipes put out by the Vegetarian Times website.

I also found some great standard recipes that I think will help me to ensure all my guests are full and satisfied.  Deviled eggs, for example,  are a fan favorite and friendly for everyone at my party, as long as I stick to a basic recipe like this one. Here is the best guacamole recipe ever, as long as you cut back on the lime just a little bit (and this is coming from someone who is a little bit of a guacamole snob). You can bet I’ll make plenty of it, since it can be eaten by vegetarians and gluten or dairy intolerant people. Hummus has to also be one of the best inventions in the world and it can be eaten by any of my guests as well.

Then there are the next couple of recipes which are great for everyone, EXCEPT those who are gluten-intolerant.  Substituting tofu for the cheese in this jalapeno popper recipe will make an appetizer that I know my friends will love and is palatable by those who have to be careful around dairy. Tofu and pesto vegan crackers, while they sound crazy, are actually quite delicious.  I’ve made them before and even my husband, the carnivore, loves them.

Making sure there are plenty of fruit trays, vegetable trays and gluten-friendly chips (like Mission corn tortilla chips) will ensure that everyone at my party has plenty to eat (and it’s all really pretty healthy!).  For those with a sweet tooth, I figure that I’ll make some of this delicious-looking vegan cake (vegetarian and dairy-free friendly, although I think a little vanilla extract will make it even better) and I’ll have some cartons of ice cream (Breyer’s All-Natural and most of the Dreyer’s brand are gluten friendly) at hand, as well.

Finally,we all know that the Super Bowl isn’t complete without alcohol, so there will be plenty of beer around.  While I don’t like beer and those with a gluten-intolerance can’t drink it either, we’ll mix up some killer margaritas as well, since tequila has no gluten!  Now THAT sounds like a party!

What is your twist on a traditional Super Bowl or football dish?

Thanks to jdanvers, sean dreilinger, mooshee85, xmascarol, nickwheeleroz and Lilia for the great photos!

~Laura