Great Eats for Super Bowl 2016

A collection of 10 snacks, dips, and meals for your Super Bowl party.

Go Panthers!  I'm originally from North Carolina so guess who I'm pulling for this year?  Besides the football, my favorite thing about the Super Bowl (or any sporting event) is the food.  So here is a collection of great recipes to serve at your Super Bowl party (or any get-together).

10 Great #recipes for your #SuperBowlParty  [Tweet this]

First, let's start with relatively healthy and delicious finger foods.  Finger foods are great to serve during the big game.  You don't need utensils and don't even need to take your eyes off the action while you stuff your face.

Keep your eyes on the game w/ #fingerfood #SuperBowl2016  [Tweet this]

Spicy Edamame     -

Cucumber Bites      -

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Now come the dips.  Again no need for utensils just grab a chip or a vegetable and dip away while watching the game.

Grab a chip or veggie and dip away w/ these #dips for #SuperBowl2016  [Tweet this]

Blue Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip

Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Hummus

Finally, I give you meals.  These meals are simple, easy to prepare, and even easier to eat.  Everyone loves chili and you can't go wrong with it (in Hawaii it's often served over rice).  My last two meals (Kimchi Fried Rice and Loco Moco) are local style grinds and they are absolutely delicious.  All of these meals can be prepared in big batches ahead of time and kept warm until everyone is ready to eat.

Enjoy local style grinds for #SuperBowl2016  [Tweet this]

Chili con Carne

Kimchi Fried Rice

Loco Moco

I hope this collection gives you some delicious ideas for what to serve during Super Bowl 2016.

Enjoy.

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Easy Marinara Sauce

A quick and simple marinara sauce made with tomato paste and spices.  Great for pizzas and dipping.

I make this marinara sauce often.  It's so simple and delicious and can be whipped up in no time.  I never buy store bought marinara sauce because this is so easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand (it's also probably cheaper than store bought).  This will be your new favorite marinara sauce soon too.

Easy Marinara Sauce will be your new favorite  [Tweet this]

Tomato paste is the main ingredient in this sauce.  I always have tomato paste in my pantry.  It's useful in so many recipes and has great tomato flavor.  All that's needed for this recipe is a well-stocked spice cabinet (just common spices), tomato paste, and water.

I always have tomatopaste in my pantry  [Tweet this]

Easy Marinara Sauce

Prep time:  under 10 minutes
Servings:  4

Ingredients:

1 6oz can tomato paste
6-12 oz water
1-2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan (optional)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Empty the can of tomato paste into a small bowl.  Add the water (I refill the tomato paste can as a measurement) a little at a time, stirring until the sauce is the consistency you desire.

Add spices and stir well until combined (you may want to add a little more water).  Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

The sauce is ready to use immediately but tastes best once it has set a while for the flavors to meld.

Makes about 2 cups of marinara sauce (about 4 servings).  Use as a pizza sauce or as a dip for bread sticks, mozzarella sticks, garlic bread, calzones or stromboli, whatever you like.

Enjoy.

For more tomato paste recipes check out:

Simple Pasta Sauce   -

Homemade Bloody Mary Mix

Meatball Calzones    -

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Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce

A spicy cheese sauce made with beer.  Great as a dip, on nachos, tacos, or veggies.

Beer and cheese are staples while watching football.  At least that's the case in my house. We drink plenty of beer while watching the game(s) and I love to add cheese to any (and just about all) gameday snacks.  So when I was making my gameday snack(s) I decided to combine the two.

Beer and cheese make great gameday snacking.  [Tweet this]

If you don't like the taste of beer you won't like this (or any) beer cheese dip.  The cheese is melted in a beer sauce.  So the main flavors are cheese and beer...gooood.  I used my favorite sharp cheddar that I shredded myself (in my food processor).  I would suggest doing this because usually blocks of cheese have better flavor than the pre-shredded kind (and sometimes the pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt right...I think they add something to keep it from clumping).  I used a Coor's light for the beer in this dip (it's what we had that day) and it was good but next time I make this I will use a better, more flavorful beer...maybe something local.

Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce is only as good as the beer and cheese used to make it.  [Tweet this]

One thing to note...unprocessed cheese doesn't stay smooth in sauce like processed cheese (a.k.a American cheese).  However, you sacrifice flavor by using American versus cheddar (unless you really love American cheese; then use it).  It may not be as smooth as store bought nacho cheese sauce, but it's real (no fake cheese flavoring) and really tasty.  I did some research and apparently if you add sodium citrate you can melt any cheese like it's Velveeta and make awesome nacho cheese sauce.  Eventually, I'm going to buy some sodium citrate from Amazon(.com) and try my hand at molecular gastronomy.  Until then this will do.

Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce

Cook time:  20-30 minutes
Servings:  6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 12-oz beer
1 cup milk
1/4 cup minced pickled jalapenos
12 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
dried hot green chili flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat melt the butter.  Stir in the flour and keep stirring for a few minutes until the flour just barely starts to turn golden.

Then pour in the beer, milk, and jalapenos.  Cook, stirring often until mixture begins to boil.  Keep stirring until sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, a cup at a time, until it's melted and as cheesy as you like it.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  I wanted my sauce spicier so I added hot green chili flakes until I was happy.

While still warm pour into bowls to serve or over chips, vegetables or whatever.  Pour any leftover sauce into a jar to cool then refrigerate.  It solidifies when it's cold, but I just microwaved mine 30 seconds at a time until it was hot and liquefied (use a towel or pot holder to lift it gets very hot).

Makes about 6 servings (of about 1/2 cup each).

Enjoy.

For more dips like this one check out:

Blue Cheese Dip/Dressing

Blue Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip

The Best Queso Dip

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8 Game Day Recipes

A round-up of my favorite gameday recipes.  From drinks to breakfasts snacks and meals there is something for everyone.

Yay College Football season has begun.  The first games were Thursday, but my team plays Saturday.   I love football season it's one of my favorite sports to watch and I like to have snacks and/or meals to go with the games.  I thought it would be great to share some of my favorite gameday recipes.  I mostly enjoy these recipes during football season, but they are great for watching any sport.

My #bestrecipes for #collegefootball #gameday  [Tweet this]

Homemade Bloody Mary Mix

Nothing's like a spicy bloody mary to help you wake up.  With 6 AM kickoff (we're 6 hours--5 when daylight savings ends--behind eastern standard time) on Saturdays they are necessary.  My husband recently bought us an espresso machine so I hope to share some espresso recipes during football season this year.  Stay tuned.

A spicy #bloodymary to #wakeup for #collegefootball in the AM.  [Tweet this]

Loco Moco

Enjoy a Hawaiian breakfast of rice topped with a beef patty and fried egg smothered in brown gravy.  Loco Moco is a great gameday breakfast whether you're at home or tailgating.

Wake up with a Hawaiian #breakfast on #gameday  [Tweet this]

Bacon Wrapped French Toast

I love bacon for breakfast...anytime really.  Nothing says football like bacon.  This is an easy breakfast finger food for early morning football snacking.  It can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until ready to bake.  Then, it only takes 15 minutes in a 350 degree F oven to have a delicious crisp morning snack or breakfast on the go (time will vary if baking from frozen).

Breakfast fingerfood | BaconWrappedFrenchToast | for #gameday  [Tweet this]

Bacon Pecan Maple Sticky Buns

These are not health food but will certainly make early morning football viewing a treat.  These buns are decadent and delicious.  Made with 3 sticks of butter, 1 1/2 cups of sugar/maple syrup, and 1 pound of bacon these are not ideal for everyday consumption, but great for a special gameday treat.

Bacon Pecan Maple Sticky Buns: a yummy start to #gameday  [Tweet this]

French Onion Dip

Late morning and afternoon games need to be served with dip.  When it's late enough to not want breakfast anymore; dips are a perfect snack food for gameday.  This is a homemade version of my favorite potato chip dip.  It's beefy, oniony, creamy, and delicious.

Dip into #collegefootball w/ French Onion Dip  [Tweet this]

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

This dip is like a loaded baked potato on a chip.  When it makes an appearance at a gameday party it disappears in no time.  What's not to love?  It's made with football snacking staples; potato chips, sour cream, cheese, and bacon.  I think this could easily be called gameday in a dip.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip it's #gameday in a #dip  [Tweet this]

Loaded Baked Potato Skins

If you like Loaded Baked Potato Dip then you will love these skins.  They are basically just dip on hollowed out pieces of baked potato.  They may be simple, but they taste awesome.  Again, bacon and potato products are great gameday foods.

#Bacon & potatoes are great #gamedayfoods Loaded Baked Potato Skins  [Tweet this]

Slow Cooker Roast Beef Sandwiches

Most of our football watching is over by late afternoon, but I know that's not the case for most of the U.S. so I had to include a meal in my gameday round up.  During a football game, simple slow cooked meals and sandwiches are the best (you don't want to spend too long in the kitchen and food that doesn't require utensils is preferred).  This recipe incorporates slow cooked beef, beer, and sandwiches making it a staple for football fare.

#Slowcookedmeals and #sandwiches are best #footballfare  [Tweet this]

Sit back, watch some football, and enjoy.

Go Pirates!

For more gameday recipes check out:

Guinness Barbecue Brisket Sliders

Bacon Wrapped Potato Wedges

Blue Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip

Linked to:  Pretty pintastic, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, J&J, Lou Lou Girls, Tickle My Tastebuds, Whimsy, Wonderful, full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends

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