Game Day Grub

I hear there’s a big game tomorrow…a football game, maybe?  I’m not really sure.  Professional sports aren’t really on my radar.  But I’ve heard a few comments here and there about the super bowl so that must be it.  😉   Just don’t ask me who’s playing!

Anyway, I thought you might want some last minute snack ideas.  So, here’s a round-up of a few things that I think might go well with watching a football game.  I hope your team wins!

Main Dish:

Traditional Chili or White Chili Make sure you have cornbread or biscuits on the side and all the fixings to go on top – crackers, cheese, sour cream, fritos, scallions, etc…

Appetizers:

Pizza Puffs

Enchilada Roll-ups

Pigs in a Blanket and Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Bites

Snacks and Dips:

Jalapenos would be the star of the game day for us.

Jalapeno Hummus

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Hot Pizza Dip {favorite!}

Oh, I almost forgot Salsa!  Can’t have a football game without the chips and salsa.

And while we are at it, we can’t forget the beer either.  Here’s a Beer Cheese Dip!

For the sweeter side of things, here’s a Cookie Dough Dip!

Dessert:

Keeping it simple, here are a few bar recipes that you can’t go wrong with:

Peanut Butter Fingers

Oreo Bars

Chewy Brownies

And last but not least, you gotta have drinks!

I recommend Rum Slushies!

Enjoy and have fun!

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

I love my husband and the way he surprises me out of the blue sometimes.  He noticed that we had a butternut squash sitting on the counter for quite some time and he took it totally upon himself to find a recipe to use it up.  He called me over to his computer, showed me this recipe and said he would like me to make it. 🙂  I was so surprised by his research that I was happy to comply.

The only major change that I made was using a can of stewed tomatoes in place of the sun-dried tomatoes.  I’m assuming the stewed tomatoes resulted in a more mild tomato flavor than the sun-dried ones.  At least I have always found sun-dried tomatoes to be pretty intense, but it was still delicious allowed the beef and squash to be the stars of the dish.

Source:  Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary {I used dried}
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme {I used dried}
• 2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Marsala wine {I just used whatever red wine I had open from the night before}
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes {I used one can of stewed tomatoes}
• 3 to 4 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.  Saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.  Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.  Serve with crusty bread alongside.

Buffalo Chicken Patties

This recipe was intended to be vegetarian which I’m sure would have been terrific, but I had to add some chicken since T is far from being vegetarian.

Ash at Veggie by Season had a great suggestion to make these into burgers, but we just ate them plain.  Additionally if you make them into mini patties, I think they would be great appetizers or as sliders too.   It’s nice to have versatility.

If you do want to make them vegetarian, omit the chicken obviously and use a whole can of chickpeas, or just follow the link to her blog.

Buffalo Chicken Chickpea Patties

adapted from:  Veggie by Season

Ingredients:

half of a 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. buffalo sauce, plus more for serving

1 egg white

1 small yellow onion, grated or finely minced

1 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper

For serving:

Buffalo sauce

Ranch or blue cheese dressing

Carrot Sticks

Celery

Buns, lettuce, tomato and crumbled blue cheese, if served as burgers

Directions:

Add chickpeas to a bowl, use a potato masher or fork and mash until about 2/3 of the chickpeas are pasty and 1/3 are in pieces or whole.  Add the shredded chicken.

Add the buffalo sauce to the chickpeas and chicken.

Add half of the oats to a food processor, pulse to create a crumb, add to the chickpeas.

Beat the egg white in a small dish to a froth, add to the chickpeas.

Grate onion into the chickpeas, finally add the garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Use a spatula and fold mixture, combining ingredients well.

Heat a griddle over medium, spray with nonstick spray or add 1 tbsp. EVOO.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup or large ice cream scoop to portion out chickpea mixture onto griddle, this yields about 7 patties, or more.

Cook patties for 5-7 minutes, until crispy and brown, flip gently and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Serve immediately to retain maximum crispness.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Sometimes I’m torn about whether or not to post certain food pictures.  I personally like to see a picture with every recipe that I want to make, but some of my pictures are so bad that I think they detract from the food itself.  This is one of those instances where you probably won’t want to make this dish based on the picture, but it’s there anyway.  You’ll just have to trust me that it tastes good.

I’ll point out that this makes a ton of dip, but the kind person who I found this recipe from also has a use for the leftover dip.  I took advantage of that recipe too and its coming up in my next post.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

{source:  adapted from a blog that I couldn’t find again????}

dip:

3-5 slices of bacon, diced

5-6 fresh jalapenos, coarsely chopped {can use more or less to taste}

two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened {I don’t know why I bothered, but I used low-fat cream cheese.}

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheese {Mexican blend was listed, but I just used cheddar}

two 4 oz. cans of chopped green chilies

1 clove of garlic, peeled

topping:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

1/2 stick {1/4 cup} butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 2 quart baking dish.

In a frying pan, saute bacon over medium heat until starting to brown.  Stir in the chopped jalapenos and continue to saute until bacon is fully cooked but not burnt, about 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, add the rest of the dip ingredients and process until smooth.  Add the cooked bacon and jalapenos and pulse until incorporated, but not smooth.  Spread into the prepared dish.

Make the topping by combining the breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl.  Pour melted butter over the top and mix well.  Sprinkle evenly over the dip and bake for about 25 minutes or until top is browned and dip is heated through and bubbles around the edges.

Serve hot with chips.

Buffalo Chicken Cups

This recipe creation was born from 2 of our favorite meals – bbq beef cups and buffalo chicken pizza.   They were spicy and delicious!  I’ll definitely be making them again.

Buffalo Chicken Cups

1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits {8 in a can}

about 1 cup of cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

about 1/4 cup Buffalo hot wing sauce

about 4 tablespoons Ranch dressing

about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press biscuits into holes of a muffin tin to form cups.  Set aside.

In a bowl, mix shredded chicken with hot sauce.  Add a few tablespoons to each cup.  Top the chicken mixture of each cup off with a few teaspoons of ranch dressing.  Then add shredded cheese on top of that.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Layered Fiesta Dip

This is a staple for so many parties that we host or attend.  It is a real crowd-pleaser and can be adapted a dozen different ways.  Some call it 7-layer dip or 8-layer dip or various other names.  But no matter how many layers go into it, the important thing is just to make however you like it.

Below I’ll list the possible layers, but go ahead and add/omit based on what you like and have on hand.  Layer everything in a shallow dish {preferably clear to see layers} starting with the refried beans.

Layered Fiesta Dip

1 can fat free refried beans {leave plain or stir in cumin and garlic powder or other spices to taste}

approximately 1 cup guacamole or 2-3 mashed avocados mixed with juice of 1/2 to 1 lime and a pinch of salt

8 oz sour cream mixed with one packet {1/4 cup} taco seasoning

shredded lettuce

1 cup shredded cheese

cooked and crumbled bacon

1 can black olives, sliced

3-4 green onions, sliced

1 or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to meld.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Roll-ups

I love spicy chicken enchiladas so I knew I would love this recipe.   One great thing about it is that it can be served as a chip dip instead of rolls too.  It is great to have that option.  It is also ideal that it can be made ahead of time which I always look for when searching for party recipes.

Chicken Enchilada Roll-ups

{source:  adapted from Sing for you Supper originally from Gooseberry Patch “Come on Over”}

Ingredients

one 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I used 2 cloves)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
salt to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded {about 1 cup}
1 bunch cilantro, chopped – I omitted
3 green onions, chopped  
10-oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained well

approximately 6 tortilla shells

Directions

Cook chicken and allow it to cool, then shred and set aside. {Or buy chicken already cooked from the store 🙂  }

Mix remaining ingredients together until well blended; add the chicken and combine.

Spread a layer of filling over tortilla shells and roll.  Place on cutting board and cut into 1″ pieces.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Serve cold or at room temp.

For the shower, I also made a different kind of roll-up.  I spread the tortilla shells with store-bought veggie cream cheese or chive and onion cream cheese, added a layer of deli meat {I used smoked ham, but turkey or anything else you like would be fine.}  Roll and slice.  The addition of sliced olives between the cream cheese and meat is also good, but I left them out this time.

Hot Pizza Dip

Update 9-9-10:  added pictures 🙂

This was a new recipe that I made for the first time at my sister’s baby shower and I thought it was wonderful.  In the future it will definitely be a party staple just like the famous buffalo chicken dip.  Tim quickly gobbled up the leftover dip after the party!

The recipe says that you can heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes.  But I made it in advance and kept it in fridge overnight.  Then before serving, I baked it at 375 degrees {uncovered} for 20-25 minutes.

Hot Pizza Dip

{source:  allrecipes.com}

Ingredients

1 {8 ounce} package cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried basil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese {I used 1/2 monterey jack and 1/2 mozzarella}

1 cup grated parm cheese

1 cup pizza sauce or tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chopped green bell peppers – I have omitted before and have also substituted sliced jalapeno

2 ounces turkey pepperoni, chopped

2 tablespoons sliced black olives

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and dried spices.

Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9″ pie plate that is microwave/oven safe.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozz and 1/2 cup parm on top of cream cheese.  Spread pizza sauce over all.  Sprinkle with pepperoni, olives, and peppers.  Then top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Cover and microwave for 5 minutes.  Serve HOT with crackers, Italian bread, crusty french bread, or tortilla chips.

Italian Beef

There’s not a lot to say about an Italian Beef sandwich, other than they are delicious! I used my crock pot for this and it was super easy.  I even put the roast in partially frozen and it worked out great.  The only downfall to putting it in frozen is that I wasn’t able to trim off the fat, which contributed to slightly greasy drippings later.

I was home all day, so I was able to change the crock pot temp after 2 hours.  Had it been a work day, I would have started the crock pot on low from the beginning.  I have heard that they make programmable crock pots, so if you are going to be away from home you can have the temp change automatically as programmed.  I don’t have one of those nifty types of crock pots though.

I served these with oven fries and Asian cabbage salad.  Posts on each coming soon!

 

Italian Beef

{adapted from PW}

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
• 1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth
• 3 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cups Water
• ½ jar (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice {I used about 1/4 jar because that was all I had}
• I added 2 small cloves of peeled smashed garlic
• Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls {I used hamburger buns because I’m fancy}

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in large crock pot. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Cover and turn heat to high for a few hours and then turn to low for about 5-6 hours or until done and fork-tender and falling apart.

With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired {we skipped the chese for once!}.  Serve with juices from the pot.  {After trying it, I thought the juices were a little to greasy this time, so we ended up not using them.}

May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Chicken Enchiladas

I think I have finally mastered chicken enchiladas!  This recipe is just the way I like them.  Other recipes that I have made in the past have turned out so soggy and drowning in sauce.  These on the other hand, are just right.  A little crispy on the outside and creamy inside.  Delicious!

I was winging it and basically cut the recipe shown below in half.  My notes/changes are in italics.

I served the enchiladas with a side of yellow rice.  Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

{adapted from Annie’s Eats}

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
8 oz. Ranch salad dressing
flour tortillas (10-15)
1 jar of salsa
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:

Cook chicken breasts by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool a bit.  {I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the crock pot with 1/2 jar of salsa until done.  It was about 4-5 hours on high.}

While chicken is cooling, mix up the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the sour cream and half of the Ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Shred or chop the cooked chicken and add to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with sauce.  {I combined the shredded salsa chicken with 4 oz of sour cream and 4 oz of ranch dressing in a large bowl.}

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan (and possibly another, smaller pan if needed and if making the full recipe). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. {My filling was already combined, so I just added a few tablespoons to each tortilla, added shredded cheese and rolled it up.} Sprinkle with a little shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Top all the enchiladas with more shredded cheese.   I also added the remaining 1/2 jar of salsa to the topping. Usually makes 10-15 enchiladas {I think I got 8 enchiladas by halving the recipe}.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla). Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.