Tasty Thursday-Big Game Treats

First off, thank you for all of those lovely comments last week. It was so incredible to get some immediate feedback to the recipes I shared. There are a few recipes in the works based on your requests.

This week, I was torn on what to write about. Do I continue to give more recipes using the Bechemel sauce? Maybe some recipes with leftover ideas, too? Instead, I looked at the calendar and saw what is happening on Sunday. Or maybe it’s all those signs I’ve seen on I-4 this week, warning of gridlock.

Either way, if you’re hosting everyone at your house this weekend, you’ll probably want some hearty food that you can make ahead. You know you don’t want to wait two hours for pizza delivery!

These recipes all can be prepared before your guests arrive and heated up when its time to serve. In my house, we have each of these items all through the year, but its nice to have alternatives to the chips and onion dip when you’re waiting to see all the new commercials.

The first one is one of my favorite spinach dip recipes ever. One of my good friends and I were enjoying a meal at one of our fine local restaurants when we commented to the server that we cannot resist their spinach dip. Next thing we know, she was telling us how to make it! I’m so glad she did, because it gets trotted out for company and I look like a hero.

Awesome Warm Spinach Dip
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature (you can use neufchatel, if you’d like)
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 slices American cheese
salt and pepper
2 cups frozen chopped spinach
shredded mozzarella cheese
sour cream
tortilla or pita chips

• In a skillet or frying pan, warm the cream cheese bricks over medium heat until it becomes soft and easy to stir.
• Add garlic, salt and pepper, then place the three slices of cheese over the cream cheese and allow them to melt as well.
• Once melted, mix in the spinach. Keep stirring until well blended. Once heated throughout, place the mixture into an oven safe dish and top with a handful of shredded mozzarella.
• Heat in the oven at 350 until cheese is melted, then top with a dollop of sour cream. Serve with tortilla or pita chips

In this house, we love our chili, but disagree on what is the right way to make it. I am a purist, insisting on no beans, while Ed says it isn’t chili without it. (He’s wrong.) We like it so much that I usually make a batch of this recipe and he and I will enjoy it for several days on end. I toss some of it in with pasta and cheddar cheese and make chili mac for Chef Jr. The recipe lists the beans for those of you who agree with Ed, but you can leave them out if you’re wise to the chili ways.

The directions I give are for making this on the stove top. To brown the beef properly, this can’t start in the crock pot, but once that step is completed, you can either swap over, or cook it in the stock pot.

Oh, and if the onions make you cry? Open your freezer door and stick your head in for a few seconds. It dries up those tears PDQ.

Easy Chili

3 pounds ground chuck
2 onions, peeled and chopped fine.
3 cans diced onions with green chilies
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
if desired, two cans of red beans (drained) or chili beans (like Bush’s, not drained)
1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (I run mine through my coffee bean grinder to make a powder)

• First, place your ground beef in a large saucepan/stock pot and add onions and spices. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, using your spoon to break up the meat while cooking.
• Once all the meat is browned, drain off the meat and return to the pot or place in a crock pot on medium. Add the three cans of diced tomatoes (and beans, if you wish), stir and cook over medium-low heat for about an hour. The longer you let this simmer, the richer the flavor.

Serving suggestions? We tend to grab a bowl and top ours with shredded cheddar, sour cream and Cholula hot sauce and eat it with chips. It also goes well with a nice wedge of cornbread.

This recipe also freezes very well if you like your chili, but don’t have the time to make it often.

Finally, I’m giving you a non traditional alternative to all the snack fare. You may prefer to watch the game than be frying Buffalo wings, and the takeout ones just don’t have that crunch. Instead, how about some Chicken Oreganata?

This is one of my Mom’s recipes that worked great for picnics and having company over. We’d usually make this with cut up chicken, but for the Super Bowl, chicken legs are the best for finger foods.

Chicken Oreganata
1 package chicken legs, rinsed
1 cup cooking oil
2 cups italian bread crumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
garlic powder
ground oregano

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oil in a shallow, wide bowl and mix the bread crumbs and cheese and place on a plate for dipping.
• Dip each chicken leg in the oil and allow the excess to drain off. Sprinkle garlic and oregano over each leg, then place in the bread crumb mixture and roll until completely coated. Place each one in a 13×9 pan and cook uncovered for one hour.
• These can be served warm or cold.

This Sunday, I hope your team wins. If they don’t, I hope you have a good time watching and enjoy some Tasty treats, too.

Until next week, here’s to all your meals being Tasty.

~Suzanne