Superbowl Supper!

One of my favorite things about the Superbowl is the good food you get to eat while you watch it!  Most of these recipes can also be made ahead of time.  Then, when it's game time all you have to do it heat them up!

Drink...

Michelada 
I wanted to serve a beer cocktail for this meal because let's face it...the best thing to drink during the Superbowl is beer!  However, I did not want to just say open, pour, and drink, so I began my search for a beer cocktail.  I found some that sounded pretty good, but they seemed a little too fancy for the Superbowl.  One drink that repeatedly popped up during my search was a Michelada.  I took a look at the ingredients and though it sounded disgusting.  However, it kept showing up and getting good reviews.  Then, Doug read an article praising this drink in one of his beer books, so I thought, "Hey, everyone seems to like it, so let's give it a try!"  Well, that was a mistake because while some people may like them, Doug and I apparently are NOT Michelada people!  I would love to hear from you if you do enjoy Micheladas...maybe you could tell us something we were doing wrong?  Anyway, here's the recipe...many people seem to like them...it's just not for me.
Ingredients:

• 12 oz beer (we used Pacifico, but I think Corona would be better) 
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 dash soy sauce (We didn't use this.  It just sounded too strange) 
• 1 dash hot sauce 
• 1 pinch black pepper 
• salt

Directions:

1. Rim a glass with salt.
2. Mix ingredients in a tall high glass with lots of ice. 
3. Add beer, mix, and serve.

Dinner...

This is not a traditional dinner.  It's more like delicious Superbowl snacks!  While the Micheladas may not have been a hit in our house, these certainly were (at least with me)!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

*recipe from allrecipes.com

I originally tasted this recipe when my friend Ashley L. made it for our work Thanksgiving party.  Everyone loved it and I thought it would be a perfect Superbowl snack.  I changed a couple of things in the recipe to meet my personal tastes. 
Ingredients:
(serves 10-15)

• 1 chicken breast, shredded (the original recipe called for canned chicken, but that weirded me out a bit, so I used a chicken breast.  I also learned a new, easy way to shred chicken.  I cooked the chicken by par-boiling it in a pan with 1 1/2 cups of water.  After it was cooked and cooled I shredded it with my hands.  I found this to be a lot easier than cooking the chicken other ways and then shredding it.) 
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup blue cheese dressing (the original recipe said to use ranch, but I like to eat my buffalo chicken with blue cheese...so you could use either.  Doug doesn't like blue cheese so I tried to sneak this in without him knowing, but you really can taste it and he noticed it while he was eating.  I like the flavor, but if you don't, do not use it because you can taste it.)
• 3/4 cup hot sauce (This made mine really spicy, so you might want to use less.  I don't know if mine was spicy because of the amount, or because I used a little of Doug's extra hot sauce mixed in with the regular hot sauce.)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• tortilla chips (the recipes said to serve with celery [eew] and crackers, but I liked the tortilla chips)

Directions:

1. Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. 
2. Stir in cream cheese and blue cheese dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. 
3. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. 
4. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.  You can refrigerate the casserole until game time, or make it right away.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes (depending on if you are cooking it right away or after it has been cooled in the refrigerator) until hot and bubbly. 



After my dip came out of the oven

6. Serve with tortilla chips. 

 Blue Cheese Stuffed Bacon Sliders

*recipe from Burger Bar

This recipe is from Chef Hubert Keller.  He owns the restaurant Burger Bar in Las Vegas and has written a book by the same name.  I have seen him on TV where he hosts a show on PBS and his burgers always look so good.  Now that I have tried one, I can honestly say they are so good!  
I was unsure of how these ingredients would taste together, but they were great!  It's a little different too because the cheese is stuffed inside the burger, so it's a pleasant surprise when you bit into it!
Ingredients: 
(serves 4)

• 8 slices apple-smoked bacon
• 1 ripe but firm pear
• About 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1.5 pounds coarsely ground sirloin, chilled
• 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces (about 1/4 cup) crumbled blue cheese, at room temperature (Doug doesn't like blue cheese so I stuffed his with a shredded 3-cheese blend)
• salt
• 12 soft, mini burger buns
• 1 1/4 cups baby arugula leaves
• 1/2 small red onion (about the same diameter as the buns), very thinly sliced
• 1 pint basket cherry tomatoes (optional) 

Directions:

Stuffed burgers before adding the top layer

After the top layer is on and the cheese is nestled inside

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, and then drain on paper towels. Cut 4 of the slices crosswise into 3 pieces each; crumble the remaining bacon and set both aside separately.
2. Peel the pears, halve them lengthwise, and core them. Cut them crosswise into thin slices and put in a bowl. Toss with the sugar and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the meat, thyme, crumbled bacon, and 11/2 teaspoons pepper. Using your hands, knead together lightly. Form the mixture into 24 evenly sized balls (about 1 ounce each). 
4. Make a small depression in half the patties. Fill them with a little mound of cheese, dividing it evenly among them. Top with the remaining patties, and then pinch them together around the cheese. Make sure the stuffing is completely enclosed. Pat and mold the burgers to fit the buns. The burgers can be shaped and refrigerated, covered, for several hours or overnight.  (Make sure you really pinch them together tightly around the cheese.  I thought I did mine pretty thoroughly, but I still had some cheese leakage when I cooked them.)
5. When ready to cook, generously season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
6. Cook the burgers in a skillet, in batches, turning once or twice, about 3 minutes for medium-rare. Do not press down on the patties. Be gentle when you turn the burgers so they do not break open. With a large spoon, baste the sliders several times with the fat in the pan.
7. When the burgers are done, remove them to a warm platter, keep warm, and let rest for several minutes. 
8. Meanwhile, heat a half teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the pear slices. Turn and repeat, then remove to a plate. They should still be crunchy.
9. To build the burgers, arrange a few leaves of arugula on the bun bottoms. Top each with a pear slice or two, a piece of bacon, and a burger. Add an onion slice and a bun top, and skewer securely together. Add a cherry tomato as a topknot, if you wish, on the skewer. Serve immediately. 

Dessert...

Football Cake Pops
These were a touchdown! :)
Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate cake mix and the ingredients called for on the box to make the cake
• 1 can of vanilla frosting
• 1 1/2 bags of milk chocolate chips
• lolipop sticks

Directions:

My cake, the crumbs, and the frosting.

The cake crumbs mixed with frosting.

The cake shaped into little footballs.

1. Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
2. After the cake cools, crumble 3/4 of it into crumbs.
3. Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 of the vanilla frosting.  You want the cake crumbs just moist enough so they can be formed into balls.
4. Form the cake crumb/frosting mixture into football shapes.
5. Place the football shapes in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
6. Melt the chocolate chips.
7. Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and insert it halfway into the football.
8. Dip the entire football into the melted chocolate and tap slightly to allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
9. Allow the football to dry.  (I got a cool cake pop stand for xmas that helps with this process - thanks mom and dad :)
10. When the chocolate has hardened (you can put them in the fridge to speed up this process) use a piping bag to pipe vanilla frosting on the footballs for the laces.

Back to School Dinner

Calling all students, teachers, and parents...time to head back to school!  I am a teacher, so I understand how it feels to start a new school year.  Some may feel excited and others...well, not so much.  Whatever your feelings, and whether you are a teacher, a student, or parent, this dinner is sure to be a good start for a fresh, new school year!

Drink...

Jitter Juice
*Idea and recipe from Belinda R.

This is a really cute idea my friend used in her classroom to help the students get rid of their first day of school jitters.  Make up a poem about first day of school jitters to read to the class and then make the "juice" to go along with it.  When you drink the juice, all the worries disappear!  I think it would also work well for parents at home if their child is feeling a bit nervous before the start of school.  Add a little vodka and maybe it could help teachers and parents ease away their jitters too :)
Ingredients:

• Lemon-Lime Soda
• Sherbet (Belinda recommended rainbow sherbet, but Trader Joe's didn't have any.  Their Pomegranate Blueberry Sherbet was delicious in this too!)

Directions: 

1. Pour a glass 3/4 full with lemon-lime soda.  
2. Add a scoop or two of sherbet.

Dinner...

 

For this dinner I decided to create a nostalgic school cafeteria inspired dinner.  First, I thought of the types of foods we ate at school (and then tried to improve their taste and quality:), then I served the dinner in a cafeteria-style tray with divided sections like my school cafeteria used to have (I re-used the tray from a microwave dinner).

Chicken Nuggets, Imperial Style

*Recipe adapted from my mom, Maureen K.'s Imperial Chicken

Sometimes chicken nuggets are like mystery meat.  Well, these are just the opposite and are way more delicious than anything I ever ate from a cafeteria!

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• dash of black pepper
• 4-6 tbs melted butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Blend the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl. 
2. Sauté the garlic in the melted butter for 1-2 minutes.
3. Cut the chicken breasts up into nugget-sized pieces.
4. Dip the nuggets into the melted garlic butter, then into bread crumb mixture, coating thoroughly.   
5. Drizzle any remaining butter/garlic over chicken.
6. Bake uncovered on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Best Mac n' Cheese Ever 
 Recipe from:  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=4291479&page=1 

This macaroni and cheese recipe has bacon in it and bacon makes everything delicious, so you really can't go wrong with this one!
Ingredients:
(serves a lot...maybe 6)

• 1/2 a head of garlic
• 1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 pound of Cavatappi or Macaroni pasta
• 1/4 pound sliced Applewood smoked bacon
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Romano cheese
• 4 tbs. butter
• 1/8 cup minced shallots (I used one small shallot)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 quart milk
• 3 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
• 4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To roast garlic: Slice ½ inch off the top of the entire head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic head tightly in a square of heavy foil and roast until tender — about 45 minutes. Remove garlic pulp by squeezing garlic head. Smash cloves with a fork to form a paste.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.
4. Cook bacon completely. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Crumble bacon when cool.
5. To make topping: Combine breadcrumbs, crumbled bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.
6. Preheat oven to 375°.
7. Sauté shallots over low heat in reserved bacon fat for one minute. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and continue to sauté shallots in butter and bacon fat until translucent.
8. Add flour and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Stirring constantly with a whisk, add milk and roasted garlic paste.
9. Cook until sauce is thickened (coats the back of a spoon). Remove sauce from heat then add salt, pepper, nutmeg, Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
10. Stir in cooked pasta. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle topping to cover entire top (I used all the topping and it was a little too much, so maybe use less or make less). 
11. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sauce is bubbly and topping is browned. Enjoy! 

 Fruit Salad with a Lemon-Lime Sauce

I love eating fruit with fruit dip, so I thought...why not make a fruit salad tossed in a tart fruit dip?  It turned out quite good!
Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 1/4 package of cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup whipped cream (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 tbs. lemon juice (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 tbs. lime juice (or to taste)
• Apples (sliced thin like fries)
• Strawberries (sliced)
• Raspberries

Directions:

1.  Mix the cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon, and lime juice.
2. Add the fruit and toss.

Dessert...

Apple Cake Pops

*Recipe from Bakerella
It's a cute idea to give an apple to your teacher, but I guarantee they would prefer to get an apple made out of cake!
Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix (I used red velvet) + the ingredients on the box to make the cake
• 1 tub of vanilla frosting
• 1 pound red melting chocolate
• Lolipop sticks
• Large round green sprinkles
• Pretzel sticks
• White fondant
• Black edible marker

Directions:

1. Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
2. After the cake is completely cooled, crumble it using a fork until there are no more large pieces.
3. Mix in 2/3 of the frosting.
4. Form the cake/frosting mixture into balls, pressing the top and bottom with your finger to create an apple shape.
5. Place the cake balls in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
6. Melt the chocolate in the microwave.  I melt it in a mug because you need it to be at least 3 inches deep for dipping.
7. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted frosting and then insert halfway into a cake ball.
8. Dip the cake ball into the melted frosting covering completely.  
9. Gently tap the lollipop stick to let the excess chocolate drip off.
10. Put part of a pretzel stick in the top of the cake pop.
11. Add 1/2 a green dot sprinkle for the leaf.
12. Put the cake pop in a block of Styrofoam or a piece of cardboard with holes punched in it so the pop stands up to dry.
13. Once dry, add fondant eyes and draw on the facial features.

Good Luck in the New School Year!

This dinner is a bit involved, but is well worth it.  I made the cake pops the day before and then did the prep work (like cutting things up and measuring ingredients) earlier in the day to help things move more smoothly.  After eating this dinner you will be ready to conquer anything the new school year brings you!