By Sherrie Norris
Thousands of football fans are already packing into New Orleans for Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX. Hopefully, the much-anticipated championship game of the National Football League will serve as a welcomed distraction from recent headlines, not only in the Big Easy, but also in the home states of both teams.
A week ago, as I sat at my desk writing about favorite foods from the Kansas City and the Philadelphia areas, I had no idea, as did anyone, that these two general locations would soon be in the news for far different reasons than the biggest football game of the year.
The January 1 Bourbon Street incident was still fresh in the minds of most Americans when the horrific January 29 mid-air collision occurred in Washington, DC involving a plane that had flown out of Kansas just a short time earlier and claiming 67 lives. Just two days later, the tragic med jet crash in Philadelphia killing six passengers and injuring dozens more on the ground, left most of us in disbelief, once again, and overcome with sadness and sympathy for all involved.
But, as we’ve learned many times over, life goes on, and easier for some than others.
There will still be Super Bowl parties this weekend, and food will still be needed. So, with much less excitement than I had this time last week, I’ll share more ideas for sides and other goodies to accompany those Kansas City ribs and Philly Steaks.
Basic Game Day Chili
1 lb. ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
Brown beef in skillet with onion and pepper; drain.
Pour it in a large pot
Add:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans with 3 cans of water
1 can pinto beans with 1 can water or tomato juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ Tbsp. chili powder
Bring to a slow boil, stir and simmer for 30 minutes.
Note: Adjust seasonings to your taste. Add other beans and liquids as desired.
Big Easy Praline Cookies
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Cream butter, sugar and egg. Add flour and mix until well blended. Add vanilla. Stir in chopped pecans. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325° F approximately 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Game Day Ritz
Ritz crackers
Peanut butter
Candy coating, color of favorite team
Make a “sandwich” by putting peanut butter between two crackers. Dip crackers into melted candy coating. You will be pleasantly surprised at the taste. Make plenty – they disappear quickly.
Chicken Quesadillas
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 cup shredded taco-flavored cheese
2 cups salsa, (thick and chunky works best)
2 Tbs. margarine or butter, softened
8 large flour tortillas
½ cup sour cream
Heat large skillet. In large bowl, combine chicken, cheese and 1 cup of the salsa. Spread margarine on 1 side of each tortilla. Place 1 tortilla, buttered-side down, in hot skillet. Top with ¾ cup chicken mixture. Place second tortilla, buttered side up, on chicken mixture; cook until bottom is lightly browned. Turn quesadilla over; cook on second side until lightly browned and chicken mixture thoroughly heated. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
To serve, cut each quesadilla into fourths, top with remaining 1 cup salsa and sour cream.
Note: Makes 4, but can easily be doubled.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce
1 cup blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Spray inside of crockpot/slow cooker with cooking spray. Add cream cheese and 1 cup of the chicken. Top with ½ cup hot sauce and ½ cup dressing. Top with remaining 1 cup chicken, ½ cup hot sauce and ½ cup dressing. Sprinkle mozzarella and blue cheese over top. Cover and cook on Low heat setting about 2 hours or until warmed through and cheese is melted.
Serve warm with crackers, breads, celery sticks, etc.
Peanut Butter Footballs
1 lb. box or pkg. powdered sugar
4 oz. pkg. cream cheese
12 oz. jar creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ stick butter
Mix ingredients well with clean hands. Shape into footballs and place on cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Chill for ½ hour.
Coating:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ bar of paraffin
Melt paraffin and chocolate in a double boiler or a large pan filled with boiling water and a smaller one inside of it. (Careful not to let water get in chocolate.) Coat footballs with chocolate. Chill until firm.
Football “stitching” may be added by using a small tube of decorator’s icing or gel in color of your choice.
Quick Pasta Salad
½ cup pasta, cooked as directed and rinsed with cold water
½ cup broccoli florets
½ cup julienne-cut carrots
½ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup quartered fresh mushrooms
½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1 cup Italian salad dressing
Combine all ingredients, blending well. Refrigerate at least one hour and stir well before serving.
Note: Feel free to add your choice of ingredients — everything from garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, to sliced or chopped cucumbers, small cheese cubes, etc. Salad dressing amount may need to be adjusted to accommodate added ingredients.
Easy Potato Skins
Baking Potatoes
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Bacon Bits
Sour Cream
Bake several potatoes in oven or microwave. Let cool about 30 minutes. Slice in half lengthwise. Hull out potatoes with a spoon or a scraper, leaving about ½-inch or less of potato skin. Drop skin in deep fat fryer and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Place on broiler rack in oven, topped with shredded cheese and bacon bits. Broil until cheese melts. Remove and top with more bacon bits and sour cream, or anything that suits your fancy.
Note: You can skip the deep fat frying and go directly to broiler, though skill will not be as crisp.