For those of us here in the US tomorrow is kind of like "Christmas for football fans" as someone noted earlier this week. I was not a big football fan when I was younger but my mom loved it. She'd watch the games with the sound off so I could listen to my music when I was a teenager. I'd usually be sitting at our dining room table working on homework or reading a book when suddenly she would start yelling at the tv "Go! go!go!go!. . . oooh, touchdown!" I would chuckle and go back to whatever I was doing and this would continue throughout the game. I never followed the game since I had no clue as to the rules and whatnot, preferring to watch hockey or basketball since I understood how they were played. As I've gotten older though, I've found myself in plenty of public venues where football games would be on and I would watch a bit and in memory of my mom root for her favorite teams. Now I have some of my own favorites too! I really had hoped the Seahawks or the Pats would have made it this year but alas it was not to be. So tomorrow I'll be watching and hoping for a good game but I don't really have a horse in this race so I just want it to be fun and exciting. Oh, yeah, and I'm planning on hosting a few friends for the game and good food. You probably suspected that from my title, right?
What's For Dinner is a weekly diary posted at 4:30pst/7:30est Saturday nights. We trade recipes and anecdotes, talk about food. Leave politics at the door, pour yourselves a drink and relax.
First off when I think of Game Day snacks I think of nachos, wings, dips & the like. Nachos are always easy to throw together so there's one dish. I looked at a few wing recipes and pretty much decided if I do wings I'll just buy some from the store and heat 'em up. I'm not a fan of them anyway. Dips? I'm thinking salsa, guacamole or maybe a layered Mexican dip. But what about making some things that will be unique and really be my own? Ah, now I turn to the internet for inspiration!
Potato Skins
An old issue of Food Network Magazine had a chart of potato skin "toppers" for each NFL team so I am going to do 2:
The basic potato skin recipe:
Take 4 large Russet potatoes and scrub the outside well. Pat dry then pierce with a fork. Bake in a 350° oven 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 & pepper. Bake skin-side up at 450° until crisp, about 15 minutes. Add the team toppings and bake an extra 5 minutes.
The 49'ers Topper: Frisco Gourmet
Artichokes pureed with goat cheese, garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil.
The Ravens Topper: Chesapeake Butter
Melted butter, Old Bay seasoning, grated parmesan and chopped chives.
Sugared Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Ok, I love these little bites and adding bacon sounds like a win to me!
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 16 ounce package small cooked smoked sausage links
15 slices bacon, each cut crosswise into thirds
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Wrap each sausage link with a bacon piece, overlapping the bacon piece at the end. Press the end of the bacon piece to seal or secure it with a wooden toothpick.
3. Place brown sugar in a large plastic storage bag. Add several bacon-wrapped sausages to bag and seal. Shake bag gently to coat sausages with brown sugar; place sausages in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining bacon-wrapped sausages and brown sugar.
4. Bake about 30 minutes or until the bacon is browned. Serve immediately. Makes about 45 appetizers.
These would be a nice spin on the traditional Chili con Queso dip seen everywhere. You know the one I'm talking about: melt a block of "cheese food" aka Velveeta and add a can of Rotel tomatoes.
Rotel Cups
Ingredients:
3 pkgs. mini fillo shells {in the frozen aisle}
1 can Rotel, drained almost all the way {I used Mild}
1 bag real bacon bits
1 1/2 cups shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
In a large bowl mix the Rotel, bacon bits and mayonnaise. Stir in the cheese until well-blended. Using a spoon fill each shell with about a half-tablespoon of the mixture. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
I'm also planning on making a nice big pot of chilli that can simmer in my Dutch oven on the stove all throughout so folks can just help themselves when they desire something heartier.
So, that's my "Game Plan":) What tasty game day dishes are your favorites?