6 New Year’s Eve Party Recipes from Little Big Town

For some bands, food is just fuel. Not country sensation Little Big Town. They’re big foodies, and singer Kimberly Schlapman even has her own cooking show, Kimberly’s Simply Southern, on the Great American Country network.

It’s been a major year for the quartet, with the release of Pain Killer, recently named iTunes’ best country album of 2014, and a slew of tour dates. On New Year’s Eve, the band will perform during the halftime show of the Capital One Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

It won’t be a low-key December 31st for these country stars, but if it were, the band would be serving the party dishes below for their friends and family. If you’re looking for some last-minute ideas for a New Year’s get-together, check out these easy-to-make recipes that Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook shared with Yahoo Food. You know what music to play in the kitchen while you prep and cook. Turn up Pain Killer, line up your ingredients, and get to work.

Chorizo Nachos 

1 bag baked tortilla chips
4.5 oz. spicy black bean dip
1/2 cup chopped spicy chorizo
4 green onions, sliced (white part only)
1 thick bunch chives, chopped
5 oz. light jalapeno cheddar, shredded

Preheat your broiler to 350°, or just turn the oven on to 350° if you only have one temperature for the broil setting. It’s important that the oven doesn’t get too hot, or the chips will burn. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. (This will make clean up easier.)

Dump the bag of chips onto the cookie sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Dab the black bean dip all over, then sprinkle on the chorizo, green onions, and chives. Top with shredded cheese and pop the nachos in the oven until the cheese melts and browns a bit. Serve immediately.

Healthier Hot Dogs

1 grilled hot dog
1 whole-wheat hot dog bun, toasted if desired
2 Tbsp. diced avocado
1 Tbsp. finely diced red onion
1 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts
1/4 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste

Place the hot dog in a bun. Top with avocado, onion, and sprouts and sprinkle with curry powder.

For a healthier hot dog, choose one that is no more than 150 calories, has 3 grams or less of saturated fat, and 370 mg. or less of sodium.

Healthier Pretzel Dogs

1 cup self-rising flour, plus more for rolling out
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more for the egg wash
3 Tbsp. low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large egg
1 pack of chicken hot dogs (8 per pack)

Preheat the oven to 425° and cover the baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a standing mixer or a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the almond milk and oil. Next, crack the egg and beat it. Pour half the egg into the milk-oil mixture, and save the other half for the egg wash later on. Beat well.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix. You may need to add a little more flour as you incorporate everything. You want the dough to be slightly sticky but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out.

Move half the dough to a clean surface covered in flour. Take a rolling pin coated with a bit of flour and roll out the dough into a large square. Using a pizza cutter, divide the dough into four smaller squares. Take each square, roll up a hot dog, and set it on a baking sheet. Roll out the rest of the dough and repeat with the remaining hot dogs.

Add a little water and a pinch of salt to the remaining egg and mix. Lightly brush the tops of each rolled hot dog with egg wash. Place in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, sprinkle with more salt (optional), and serve.

Tandoori Chicken

1 1/2 cups plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. grated onion
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated and peeled
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp. salt
Cooking spray

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Place a small roasting pan in the oven. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken evenly with salt.

Place the chicken on a preheated pan coated with cooking spray. Broil in the lower third of the oven for 15 minutes or until done, turning after 7 minutes.

Honey BBQ Chicken Nuggets

Cooking spray
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper
8 oz. raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 16 nuggets
2 Tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (with 45 calories or less per 2-Tbsp. serving)
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a wide bowl, mix flour, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken nuggets in a large bowl, top with the egg substitute, and toss to coat. Shake each nugget to remove excess egg and coat with the seasoned flour. Lay each nugget as evenly as possible on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the nuggets. Continue baking until the outsides are lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. In another large bowl, mix the BBQ sauce, honey, and garlic powder. Add the cooked nuggets and toss to coat.

Skinny Queso Dip

1 cup skim milk
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. canola oil
1 cup minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 oz. can Ro-tel tomatoes with chilies, diced and drained
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 3/4 cups shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the milk and the cornstarch to create a slurry; set aside.

Heat a large saucepan on medium heat; when hot add the oil. Then add the onions, garlic, poblano, and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Add the chicken broth and the rest of the milk. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir; simmer for a minute until it bubbles and thickens, then reduce the heat to low.

Add the drained tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Remove from heat and add the cheese; stir until it melts completely. Serve immediately.