Football
Fan Fare
The play call for autumn game days includes dishes that serve up bold flavors. College teams compete for ranking and wins each Saturday, while Sundays bring the NFL stars and teams onto the fields and into our homes. As groups gather to cheer their favorite teams to victory, delicious dips, spicy wings and heartland chili are just the ticket to a perfect kickoff.
Touchdown Hot Wings
2 lbs. chicken wings (rinsed and dried)
½ cup Frank’s RedHot hot sauce
¼ cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping
Preheat the oven to 400ºF degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and place wings on the lined baking pan allowing for a bit of space between them. Season chicken wings with salt and pepper. Bake the wings for 40–45 minutes, flipping them over at the 20-minute mark. When crispiness has been achieved, remove from the oven and set aside. While wings are baking, gently whisk hot sauce, melted butter, vinegar, garlic powder and paprika. Toss the wings in the sauce mixture until well coated and return to the baking sheet for serving. Accent the wings with a dipping sauce like blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Quarterback Queso
1 lb. package Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 lb. ground beef
2 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1 16 oz. package Velveeta
¼ cup half-and-half
1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 10 oz. can diced green chilis, drained
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
1 large bag On the Border tortilla chips
Cut Velveeta into small cubes and set aside. Cut blocks of cream cheese into eight strips. In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef and sausage, mincing into little pieces with a spatula or meat chopper. Drain the meat and return to the pot. Turn the burner to medium-low heat and add Velveeta, half-and-half and cream cheese to stock pot. Stir every few minutes until the cheeses are melted into the meat. Add the corn, green chilis, tomatoes and black beans. Sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper and smoked paprika. Stir well, and let the mixture heat through for 15 minutes on medium-low. Turn to lowest heat for serving.
Special Teams Spinach Dip
1 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
Note: Fresh spinach ground down in a food processor also works very well.
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. butter
⅔ cup Hellmann's mayo
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened close to room temperature
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag flat pretzels or your favorite tortilla chips
Preheat the oven to 375ºF degrees. Lightly grease a 7 x 11-inch baking dish (or 9 x 13-inch if doubling the recipe). Set aside. Mince garlic, and set aside. Drain can of artichoke hearts, chop, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together artichoke hearts, spinach, cream cheese, grated cheeses and mayo until smooth. Set aside. In a small skillet, melt butter, and cook minced garlic for one minute. Remove from heat, squeeze in lemon juice. Let cool for one minute, and then pour over ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix well, and spread contents evenly in the prepared baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover, and let the dish bake uncovered for five more minutes or until the surface is lightly browned.
Chain Movin’ Chili
4 lbs. ground beef (Costco is my preference)
2 cans Williams Chili Beans, medium
1 can Williams Chili Beans, mild
(Add another can or two of either beans for a larger batch)
¾ packet Williams Original Chili Seasoning
8 oz. can Hunt’s Tomato Sauce
⅔ of a 6 oz. can of Hunt’s Tomato Paste
1 16 oz. can Miller Lite Beer
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. (half stick) salted butter
In a large crockpot, pour in the chili beans, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Sprinkle in ½ tsp. garlic powder. Lightly sprinkle salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Stir well, and cook in a crockpot on high for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to low. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, chopping finely into small pieces. When almost browned, sprinkle with 1 tsp. of garlic powder, ½ tsp black pepper and the chili seasoning. Cover completely with beer. Stir in well and reduce heat to medium-low allowing contents to simmer and reduce. Once the beer is cooked in, pour the seasoned ground beef mixture into the crockpot. Mix with the beans, and then add the butter. Cover with the lid, but stir every five minutes until the butter is completely melted and incorporated into the chili. Allow the contents to heat in the crockpot for 1–2 hours.