To me, the Super Bowl is just a big excuse to eat appetizers all day long, and that’s why I like it. I’m not much of a sports fan, so the highlight for me is coming up with the menu and putting it all together. This year, we asked our Editors and our Facebook and Twitter friends to give us a list of their favorite Football watching fare. Go ahead, loosen your belt and dive right in. Oh, but we do offer some vegetarian alternatives like Jennifer Malme’s Spicy Baked Chickpeas and Michele Errechetti’s Unshrimp Cocktail and Raw Avocado Chocolate Mousse. (We’ll just have to trust her on that one.) Our lead picture is thanks to Michele’s dive into the vegetarian side. Thanks Michele.
Deborah Smith’s Pulled Pork Nachos:
Use your favorite Pulled Pork recipe. Then load each individual tortilla chip with a spoon full of the pork and a little shredded cheddar. Pop them in the oven for a few minutes and then finish off with a dollop of cole slaw. Warning, they are highly addictive. Here’s my PP recipe. You could even use store bought in a pinch.
http://www.jerseybites.com/2008/04/crockpot-pig-roast-with-insane-barbecue-sauce/
Gina Glazier’s Potato Skins and Mozz & Pesto Bites:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
3 baked potatoes
6 slices bacon, cooked to your liking (FYI- I microwave slices for easiest cleanup and best results)
¼ C olive oil
½ C shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
S & P- salt and pepper
Sour cream, optional for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Cut potatoes in ½ length wise, scoop out inner potatoes, leaving a “skin” with a thin layer of white potato still on
Using a pastry brush, generously brush olive oil all over potato skins, both sides
Sprinkle S & P all over, both sides, place on a baking sheet
Bake, skin side down, for 8-10 minutes or until edges are beginning to crisp and oil is slightly bubbling
Flip over and bake skin side up for up for 8-10 minutes. Then, turn back over and bake for 2 minutes
Take baking sheet out; crumble about 1 slice of bacon on top of each “skin”, sprinkle about 1 TBS cheddar on top of bacon, repeat with remaining “skins”, bacon, and cheese
Place in oven for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and edges are crisp
Place on platter with sour cream on the side
Mozz & Pesto Bites
Ingredients:
1 Pint cherry tomatoes, cut in ½
I loaf of ciabatta bread
1 container of store bought pesto (I used Buitoni)
1 fist size ball of fresh mozzarella
Salt & Pepper (S & P)
Directions
Cut the bread into 1 inch slices, then cut the slice in ½ lengthwise, then make 3 cuts down the middle to form cubes of bread
Cut your mozz in the same fashion: ½ inch slices, then cut in half lengthwise, then cut 3 times down the middle to form cubes of cheese
Assemble: Spread about 1 tsp of pesto on each top of bread, place cheese on top of that, then S & P, then the ½ cherry tomato, use toothpick to secure
Repeat with remaining bread, pesto, cheese, and tomatoes. Makes about 70 appetizersJ
** I must admit, I felt bad using store bought pesto because my mother taught me how to make AMAZING pesto myself. However, the time limits I had and the lack of fresh basil at the store led me to buy the pesto and actually, it tasted wonderful. I would definitely use it again in a pinch. **
Veronique Deblois’ Beef Chili for a Crowd
This simple and delicious chili recipe makes enough to feed an army…or at least 15 of your friends at your next party.
5 lb. ground beef
1 large onion diced
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
4 – 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
small can kidney beans
2 packages Shelby’s Chili Mix, spice packets only
1/3 cup chili powder
2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
Sauté onion, and garlic on high heat for 5 minutes. Add beef and cook until cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce. Sauté until completely gray in color. Add spices and blend well. Add beans and tomatoes. Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours.
15 Servings.
Jennifer Malme’s Spicy Baked Chickpeas
2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas
2 T olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse the chickpeas with cool water and drain in a colander. Dry chickpeas by rolling them in a clean kitchen towel. Combine the oil, paprika, cumin, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add chickpeas and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer.
Bake until golden and crispy, 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the tray to toss after 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the chickpeas to a serving bowl.
These are great for game day, parties, even in a packed lunch in place of chips. They can be stored for several days in an air-tight container at room temperature – if you have any left!
Terry Krongold’s South of the Border Super Bowl Baskets
Here is the recipe for our award-winning Super Bowl snack!
(this recipe makes approximately 12 baskets)
1 package flour tortillas
PAM Cooking Spray
1 can Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
2-3 links fresh chorizo sausage
1 can refried beans
Shredded Mexican cheese
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take small ramekins and place in large roasting pan. Spray ramekins with PAM.
Heat a saute pan. Split the chorizo sausage casing down the middle and remove the casing. Drop the sausage into the pan and break up. Cook thoroughly.
Using an upside down glass bowl, cut tortillas to fit ramekins and place one in each ramekin. Bake tortillas for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Move rack to top level and set your oven to broil.
While tortillas are still warm, spread approximately 1 tablespoon of refried beans on bottom of each tortilla. Next, add about a tablespoon of cooked chorizo, followed by a tablespoon of Ro-tel Tomatoes and Green Chilies, and cover with small handful of shredded cheese. Slide pan of ramekins under broiler and broil for approximately 2 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove from oven when tortillas are crisp and brown around edges.
Remove tortillas from ramekins, arrange on serving platter. Top with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream. Enjoy!
A Vegetarian Spread
Superbowl food is notoriously fattening and somebody’s got to say it… not very good for your health. There, I said it. I know, I know, I can hear everyone now, it’s just one day what’s the big deal? Well here’s the rub, I don’t like the idea that Superbowl Party food has become synonymous with food that is bad for you! Who said we had to eat all this junk anyway? And the celery that comes with the wings doesn’t count, come on don’t try that one! I say it’s high time veggies be invited to this party too, after all they have been left out for too long and they deserve equal time! Hank Aaron, former MLB player, Desmond Howard, former Green bay packer, tennis stars Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, Joe Namath, former New York Jets star quarterback, New York Nicks Carmelo Anthony and superstar singer Sting are all vegetarians. If these veggie-licious recipes don’t make you a believer, I’ll eat my hat! Did I mention it was my Chiquita banana hat?! Remember her? Oh, nevermind! For a yummy appetizer try the “Unshrimp” Cocktail, the vegan answer to shellfish, great for people with allergies. And for a “Beefy Burger” that switches up meaty Portobello Mushrooms for the beef or turkey with special sauce. I didn’t forget dessert. Raw Avocado Chocolate Mousse, the rich, chocolatey goodness knocks it right out of the ball park. Oops, sorry wrong sport. You know what I meant! They will never taste the difference, trust me! And best of all, there is little or no cooking for all these recipes! So sit down, kick off your shoes and enjoy the game with the rest of the gang. We from the Southern end of the state will have to force ourselves to cheer for the Giants, so the food will be our main attraction! No offense! Michele Errichetti
Unshrimp Cocktail
1 cup Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup Kosher salt
2 yellow onions, quartered
5 garlic cloves
3 lemons halved
2 heads of cauliflower
cocktail sauce
Directions
Clean and cut cauliflower into approximately 2 inch florets. Squeeze lemons into pot and add lemon halves and combine all ingredients except cauliflower into a large (12 quart pot ). Bring to boil for 10 minutes to meld flavors. Add cauliflower and turn off heat. Cover tightly for 5 to 10 minutes until fork tender, but firm. Remove cauliflower with slotted spoon and drain on dish to cool. You can make and refrigerate up to a day ahead. Serve with cocktail sauce. Basically ketchup and horseradish, you can add a splash of Tabasco for more heat. Warning: You may hear moaning at first, but I bet there will nothing but lips smacking after the first bite.
Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Special Sauce
Portobello Mushrooms, 1- 2 per person
Whole grain buns or buns of your choice
Spring mix, a few leaves per sandwich
Red onion, 2 slices per sandwich
Jersey tomatoes, (What else?!) 1-2 slices per sandwich
Veganaise
Grey Poupon mustard
Garlic powder
Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Dill
Lemon juice
Directions
Brush the Portobello mushrooms with olive oil and balsamic vinegar add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and grill top side down for 4-5 minutes. Grill bun at the same time. For special sauce enough for for 4 “burgers”, combine 5 tablespoons of Veganaise, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1/4 tespoon garlic powder, salt and pepper and juice of 1/4 of a lemon and mix together. Plate bun bottom first, then the portobello, spring mix, tomatoe and onion. On inside of top bun smear 1 tablespoon of special sauce. They may never ask for meat again! O.K. almost never…
Raw Avocado Chocolate Mousse
4 avocados
2/3 cup of raw cacao powder
1/2 cup Maple syrup or to taste
1 TBSP vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients into food processor starting with peeled avocados and blend until smooth. You may garnish with fruit or plain Greek yogurt drizzled with honey as “whipped cream” . Let your imagination go!
We also asked our Facebook and Twitter friends what they’d be serving. Here are some standouts we thought we’d mention.
Facebook Fan Wendy Offered up Her Favorite Recipe: Chipotle Queso Nachos
The Dip starter is available for purchase at www.TSWendy.com Chipotle Queso Nachos
Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 jar Chipotle Queso Dip Starter
16 oz. processed cheese (such as Velveeta®), cubed
Blue Aztec Chips
Diced tomatoes
Sliced jalapeno peppers
Directions
Brown ground beef; drain fat. Stir in Chipotle Queso Dip Starter and cubed cheese; stir over low heat until cheese melts. Spoon warm cheese mixture over Blue Aztec Chips on a large platter; garnish with tomatoes and jalapenos. Makes 16-20 servings.
Elmina, another Facebook Fan gave us the whole run down. We already discussed this in our household: here we go…#1) Ground lamb sliders with a feta cheese spread and cucumber relish, #2) Homemade Jalapeno poppers with goat cheese, #3) Traditional wings, #4) Pigs in a blanket made with chorizo and creole mustard for dipping! Can’t wait!
Oh, Elmina, we’re comin’ over.
The Adirondack Chick share some of her recipe links. Bacon and Cheddar Potato Skins ~ http://ow.ly/8EbK9 and Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Skins ~ http://ow.ly/8EbLu
What are your favorite Super Bowl recipes? Feel free to share them in a comment below or Join in the Fun with your fellow Biters on Facebook and Twitter. Go Giants!!
