PROVENÇAL ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Have you heard? Velveeta has a shortage of cheese. It made the national news. They also issued a sizeable product recall, further compounding the issue. It’s a veritable “cheesepocalypse,” as coined by Velveeta, especially with Super Bowl Sunday looming ahead.

If your hopes and dreams of a queso-filled snack menu have been dashed, don’t despair. I’ve got you covered. The flavors in these roasted chickpeas are inspired by the south of France: lavender, lemon, garlic and lots of herbs. They are really quite savory, I must say – a delicious, crunchy, protein-packed substitution sure to solve any of your Super Bowl queso quandaries.

PROVENÇAL ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Ingredients (serves 4-5):

• 2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp Herbes de Provence

• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

• 1 tsp granulated garlic

• 1 tsp sea salt, freshly ground

• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F. In colander, rinse garbanzo beans and drain well. With paper towel, dry garbanzo beans thoroughly (this step is key to getting them crispy). Line baking sheet with parchment and spread garbanzo beans out. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle rest of ingredients on top, tossing to ensure the garbanzo beans are evenly coated. Spread garbanzo beans out flat and roast for 20-25 minutes until browned and crispy. Let cool completely before serving.