My neck of the woods is abuzz with anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday–loyal fans eager to see their 49ers play (win?) in just a couple of days. I haven’t followed football much since leaving home in my early 20s but I am every bit a fan (my family would disown me otherwise). I may not yell loudly at the television like my father who fancies himself a coach and I may not own a closetful of 49er attire but I’ll be cheering them on this Sunday. Will you be watching football?
To be honest, I get just as excited about the food on game day as the game itself. I consider it a forget-about-the-calories day, just like the holidays, so I freely indulge in wings, chips and dip…then repeat at half-time. But not all game day food needs to be loaded with calories. Here’s a snack that would be easy to put together and your guests can nibble on it while the rest of the feast is being assembled.
I tossed the chickpeas with some chopped fresh rosemary, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil then roasted in the oven. The chickpeas are not all crisp right out of the oven but allowing them to sit in the baking tray for a few minutes after roasting them does the trick. They don’t keep very long either–they’re best enjoyed the same day but this isn’t exactly a problem as they’re quite hard to resist, especially with their mildly herb-y, cheesy flavor. I used dried garbanzo beans that I soaked for a few hours but canned beans work just fine, too (it’s what I’ve used in the past).
I dare you not to get addicted to these roasted chickpeas if you try them. Create your own flavor combination, too. I’ve tried them with sumac and also with curry powder, two great variations.
Go Niners!
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Here are other game day ideas from the archives:
1. Tamarind Marinated Baked Chicken Wings
2. Parmesan Dip
3. Lime Chipotle Turkey Sliders
4. Prawn, Pesto, Fig and Feta Sandwich – can easily be cut to make crostini
5. Spicy Honey Roasted Almonds
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- 2 cups dried garbanzo beans, soaked for a few hours then drained until dry (or 2 cans canned dried garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained and dried thoroughly)
- 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl then transfer the mixture to a baking sheet. Try to use a baking sheet large enough for the garbanzo beans to sit in a single layer.
- Roast for 40-45 minutes, tossing the mixture once or twice. Take the roasted chickpeas out of the oven, sprinkle kosher salt on them and toss in the baking tray. Let them cool for at least a few minutes in the baking tray before transferring to a bowl. This will give them time to get crisp. Enjoy the same day you prepare them.
Great snack (or side dish). I’ve seen and done roasted chickpeas before but I really like your treatment with rosemary and parmesan.
I keep telling my Hubby that chickpeas are good roasted! Maybe this will convince him 🙂 Gorgeous pictures! Pinning!
Such a perfect snack to much along wine or beer. We love roasted chickpeas but never really tried adding parmesan in it. Bookmarking it.
I’ve never tried roasted chickpeas but I’ve always wanted to – I think your recipe is just the encouragement I need! 🙂 Love these flavors!
I have for so LONG been wanting to make raosted chickpeas – now I have a great recipe! Love your photos. I am not so much of a sports fan BUT I certainly want our 49’rs to WIN! Have a great weekend!
I really need to try roasting these little beauties! Glad you got your site up working.
Oh, how I love rosemary! These chickpeas look irresistible…I don’t think I’d want to share. 😀
Super awesome snack! If I were there now, I’ll be picking on these! Good luck to the 49ers! My hubby is cheering for the underdog, the Ravens. I told him I’m cheering for 49ers because many of my blogger friends are from the area! Woo-hoo!
Jean you always have the best snack recipes. The chickpeas sound and look delicious. I’m not a football fan at all so I won’t be watching the game. But good luck to the 49ers and enjoy all the yummy food.
Ooh, these look so good. I’m making them ASAP!
Addictive! This healthy and flavorful snack is just fabulous.
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh, these just look SO great! I love love love this. I have been meaning to try and do something like this with chickpeas, but just have never gotten around to it. Great healthy snack!
I have wanted to try these, but been nervous if I would like them or not. I love rosemary though, so this would be the way I would try them!
i’m not a football fan, just don’t understand this sport but i’d be more than happy to munch on some of these roasted chickpeas during the break. I just bought some fresh chickpeas and was planning on roasting them, not I know I can do the same with dry ones as well
Pretty pictures Jean- so vivid and colorful! I’m glad you had some good eats for the Super Bowl even if we did lose ;-(
I’m loving all those flavors, what a delicious snack!
Such a wonderful snack, I love the combination of flavours!!!
Found this on Pinterest and it looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. I think I’m the only one who likes chickpeas in my family though, so I might just have to eat them all myself! (I know, bummer right!) 🙂
These look wonderful! Do you think it makes much of a difference if you use the canned variety vs. dry?
Hi, Valerie. I’ve used both successfully. The canned beans are definitely more convenient but the dried beans might crisp up easier in the oven. 🙂
Thank you!
How long will they store? I am going out of town and need a good “room temp” snack to take for a few days. Will this work? Sounds amazing!
Hi, Kate. They don’t really keep very long…at least they haven’t lasted more than a day or two here. In an airtight container they might last up to two days but I’ve found that they’re best as soon as they cool from the oven. Hope this helps!
hello,
I loved the taste but I couldn’t get them to crisp up, although I followed the exact recipe. Do you know what must have went wrong? I would appreciate your guidance.
Hi,
The only thing I can think of is that your chickpeas weren’t super dry, especially tricky if you used canned beans instead of dried (then rehydrated). You know, each oven is different, too. Maybe you can try roasting them a little longer next time? Let me know if you try again. 🙂
I tried making these last night using the dried garbanzo beans as suggested. The flavor was very good however they were very firm after cooking for 35 minutes. I would suggest either soaking them overnight rather than just a couple of hours or use canned beans. I look forward to trying them again.