It’s Super Bowl Sunday and if nothing else, it’s a wonderful excuse to spend the day eating and enjoying the game. I do always struggle with eating so much heavy food and needing to be functional the next day (and WHY can’t we just move the game to Saturday?) So I like to at least start the game’s menu with something on the slightly healthier side.

What better lunch than antipasto? I started with a healthy layer of spring mix then got building. I had some leftover pickled vegetables that I thought would make a nice substitute for the traditional giardiniera. Plus fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers and scallions. The final layer was some dried salami and nice chunks of Asiago for some bite. (personally, I would have added some olives, but got outvoted)

Perhaps ruining the effort to keep things healthy, I did top the salad with grilled cheese croutons (translation: there was one lonely leftover grilled cheese sandwich in the fridge that I re-heated for a couple minutes in the air fryer and cut onto small cubes).

I have a habit of making too big a salad, so I always put the dressing on the side so any leftovers will keep better. I love making a simple Italian vinaigrette to top everything by combining 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar, a couple tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, a dash of sugar (about half a teaspoon) and your favorite spices to taste (I like to add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes) in a mason jar. Give everything a good shake and serve. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a week.