With the Super Bowl on Sunday…for true football fans, it’s the bittersweet end of the 2009 football season. However, for both fans and casual ones alike it’s also the biggest football game of the year and represents a time for friends and family to come over and enjoy great food and football.
Disclaimer: This post is NOT for those of you on a diet and looking for tips on how to enjoy great food for half of the calories. So if you don’t want to cheat, you might want to close the browser immediately. This is true football food in all it’s fattening glory. *wink*
For the past few days, I’ve been scouring the web in search of some of the greatest recipes for you and your guests as you prepare for the big game.
Warm Ups (Appetizers, etc.) “Be sure to pace yourself and stretch”
Guy Fieri’s Tequila-Lime Wings
Ingredients
For the Wings:
- 3 pounds chicken wings, split at the joint, tips removed
- Kosher salt
and freshly ground pepper
For the Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup tequila
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- (sometimes called agave nectar)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Prepare the wings: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season the wings with salt and pepper and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until just brown and crisp, about 45 minutes.
Make the sauce: Combine the lime zest and juice, tequila, agave syrup, cumin, adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tablespoon pepper in a bowl. Pour over the warm wings and let marinate at least 30 minutes.
Preheat a grill to high. Grill the wings until marked, 10 to 15 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan and cook until slightly thick, about 8 minutes (you can do this on the grill as well). Drizzle the wings with the sauce and top with cilantro, if desired.
Texas Chili Potato Skins
Directions
Toppings: Chunky chili, grated longhorn cheddar, chopped onion, sour cream and hot sauce
How to Make Classic Potato Skins:
Pierce 4 large russet potatoes with a fork. Bake directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool, then quarter lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake, skin-side up, at 450 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes. Add your favorite team toppings. (For cheesy skins, flip the baked shells over before topping, sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese and bake an extra 5 minutes.)
Shrimp-Jalapeno “Poppers”
Ingredients
- 32 large uncooked large shrimp (about 1 lb.), peeled, deveined
- 1/3 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
- 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 32 RITZ Crackers
- 6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) CRACKER BARREL Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 10 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, each cut into 3 pieces
- 4 fresh jalapeno peppers, each cut into 8 slices
Directions
COMBINE shrimp and dressing. Refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate. Meanwhile, mix sour cream and cilantro. Refrigerate until ready to use.
HEAT grill to medium heat. Place crackers in single layer in disposable foil pan. Cut cheese into 16 slices, then cut each slice diagonally in half. Place on crackers; cover with foil.
DRAIN shrimp; discard marinade. Wrap each shrimp with piece of bacon; thread onto skewers. Grill 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning frequently. Meanwhile, place covered foil pan with crackers on grill grate; grill 2 min. Remove from grill. Let stand, covered, 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is slightly melted.
REMOVE shrimp from skewers; place on crackers. Top with sour cream mixture and peppers.
Substitute:
Prepare using drained canned sliced jalapeno peppers.
Use Your Oven:
Thread bacon-wrapped shrimp onto skewers as directed. Broil, 6 inches from heat, 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink, turning after 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place cheese-topped crackers on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top crackers with shrimp, sour cream mixture and peppers.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: 80 calories, 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 40mg cholesterol, 170mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate, 0g dietary fiber, less than 1g sugars, 5g protein.
Main Event (Main Dishes) “It’s Game Time Baby!”
Bobby Flay’s Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise
Ingredients
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1/2 lime, juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sliders:
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, 80/20
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cheese slices, your choice
- Mini burger buns
Burger Bar (if desired):
- Chipotle Mayonnaise
- Pickles
- Red onion slices
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
Directions
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Sliders:
Preheat grill over medium-high heat.
Form the meat into 2 to 3-ounce portions, packed tightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the sliders on the grill. Wait until they are nice and crusty on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook another 4 minutes. When the sliders are about done, top with desired cheese and close the grill, allowing the cheese to melt.
Place the slider on mini burger buns and top with chipotle mayonnaise and any other desired toppings.
Emeril Lagasse’s My Kinda Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (8-inch) piece French bread, crust trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1 teaspoon Baby Bam, recipe follows
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Emeril’s Italian Essence or other dry Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
To make the croutons, put the bread cubes in a medium mixing bowl and season with the Baby Bam. Combine 1/3 cup of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the garlic in a blender and process on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the olive oil mixture to the bread cubes and toss with a spatula to coat evenly. Spread the bread cubes evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, combine the white wine vinegar, mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, sugar, Italian Essence, salt, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of garlic in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to blend. Gradually add the remaining 2/3 cup of olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until well blended and smooth.
To assemble the salad, put the lettuce in a large salad bowl and add the dressing and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat evenly. Divide the salad mixture evenly among 4 salad plates (or more if making smaller servings) and top with equal amounts of the croutons.
Baby Bam:
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, originally appearing in Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My Soup, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2002
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine, using a wooden spoon.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Yield: about 3/4 cup
Mortadella Stromboli *DROOL*
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated swiss or gruyere cheese (6 ounces)
- 1 cup thinly sliced string cheese (4 ounces)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 1 13.8-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 cup pitted green or black olives, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 pound sliced mortadella, cut into 1/2-inch-wide ribbons
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix 1 cup of the swiss cheese with the string cheese.
Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Unroll the dough, cut in half to make two 6-by-9-inch pieces and place on the prepared pan.
Spread half of the mixed cheese along one long side of each rectangle, leaving an inch border between the cheese and dough edge. Top each mound of cheese with half of the basil, a quarter of the olives, 1/4 cup tomato sauce and a third of the mortadella. Fold the dough over the filling lengthwise, pressing the edges to seal. Make slits in the top of the dough to allow steam to escape during baking.
Bake the stromboli until brown, about 15 minutes; remove from the oven. Brush each with olive oil, then scatter the remaining olives, mortadella and cheese on top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Post Game Press Conference (Desserts) “The 2010 Super Bowl Champions are…”
Paula Deen’s Toffee Brownies *Ow!*
Ingredients
- 1 (17.6-ounce) package brownie mix with walnuts
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 3 (6-ounce) candy bars with almonds and toffee chips (recommended: Symphony brand)
Directions
Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions.
Line a 13 by 9-inch cake pan with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spoon in half of the brownie batter and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the candy bars side by side on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter.
Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely, then lift from the pan using the edges of the foil. This makes it easy to cut the brownies into squares.
Mini Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter,
- cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 10-ounce bag peanut butter chips
For the Glaze:
Directions
Make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F using the convection setting, if available. Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the butter, cocoa powder and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the brown sugar.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the warm cocoa mixture. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla; stir into the batter until just combined but don’t overmix.
Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make the topping: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over the peanut butter chips in a bowl and let stand until the chips melt, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until the topping is set, about 10 minutes, then beat with a mixer until fluffy. Transfer to a pastry bag with a 1-inch round tip and pipe peaks onto each cupcake. Place in the freezer while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze: Put the butter, chocolate and 3 tablespoons hot water in a small, deep microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on 50 percent power until the chocolate melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Dip the frozen peaks of each cupcake into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.
Let the beer, wine and cocktails flow and I hope everyone enjoys the game as well as some of these game day recipes from XI.
All recipes & images provided by the Food Network
Read Also
They all look delicious but my favorites are the Tequila Lime Wings and Bobby Flay’s Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise. I might have to try the wings for the Super Bowl.