Football Watching Food!

If you are headed to a super bowl party or just hunkering down at home, these are some ideas for Football Fare!

Some snacks to get started with:

Addictive Sausage Dip

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Buffalo Chicken Dip

More substantial:

A huge pot of Taco Soup is sure to satisfy!

Throw on the grill and serve:

Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

On with the sweets:

Peanut Butter Bars

Oat Bars

Blue Ribbon Brownies

Peanut Butter Bugles

Enjoy the Big Game!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

With all the football games on, I decided to make one of my favorite dips! Serve with tortilla chips and celery. Perfect for a cold, football afternoon!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 -4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded - I use one pack from HT

2 (8oz) pkgs. cream cheese

1 (16oz) Ken's Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 oz Frank's Hot Buffalo sauce

Mix together all ingredients and pour into oven safe dish. *This makes enough for two dishes. I usually freeze the other half for another time. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Blot off any grease.

Addictive Sausage Dip

This is my go to football dip. I usually double it if I am taking it to a large crowd. Be sure to serve it with Fritos Scoops.

Sausage Dip

1 pound Neeses sausage, cooked and drained ( i also pat it with a paper towel to get all the grease)

1 8oz block cream cheese

1 can rotel

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 until bubbly.

Blue Ribbon Brownies from Southern Plate

Because of all the football games on this weekend, I decided to bake some treats. Oh who am I kidding, I had a huge chocolate craving. These were posted on Southern Plate. I love the crust that forms on the top of the brownies. I did not add the nuts. Worth the effort.

Blue Ribbon Brownies

1 cup shortening

4 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

(1 cup nuts)

Melt shortening and chocolate together. Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and blend. Add flour mixture, vanilla and nuts. Bake in greased 9x13x2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick.

Source: Southern Plate

Pepperoni Stuffed Mushrooms

Ever since my sister in law made these for Christmas Dinner one year they have become tradition. We have added them to Thanksgiving as well! The stuffing freezes well so they are easy to make ahead of time.

Pepperoni Stuffed Mushrooms

12 Mushrooms, remove the stems and finely chop

2 TBSP butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 oz pepperoni, chopped

3 TBSP finely chopped green pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 TBSP parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chicken broth

Saute onion, green pepper, garlic, and mushroom stems in butter.

Combine with other ingredients.

Stuff the mushroom caps and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Corn Pudding

One of the things I am most thankful for are my friends. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner this year due the the fact we added some friends to the menu! The Gilberts and Morgans joined our table and it was delightful! Tricia brought corn pudding because her children demand it on Thanksgiving and I can see why! It is delicious! I made it for our New Years Dinner and it was a hit! Thanks for sharing Tricia!

Corn Pudding

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix - (a staple in any southern kitchen)

8oz sour cream

1 stick butter, melted

1 15oz can crisp & sweet corn, drained

1 15oz can cream style corn

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Mix all ingredients and pour into lightly greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Source: Tricia

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

These make a festive addition to any holiday table...

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Nonstick spray

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup finely chopped red and white striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes

2 oz white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stray 13x9x2 inch pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immedieately sprinkle chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

Melt white chocolate. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. *Can be made 1 week ahead and stored in refrigerator in airtight containers between wax paper or parchment paper.

Source: Bon Appetit December 2009