Game day isn’t quite game day without some seriously delicious food to munch on. With that being said, we pulled together seven crave-worthy recipes from our 2019 Creative Arts Cookbook to keep your partygoers satisfied even if their predictions go south. Whether you’re looking for something sweet or savory, spicy or tangy, quick and easy, or impressively intricate, we have your recipe needs covered.
Wowzah-Wowzah Salsa
By Franklin Creed
Euless, TX
1st Place – Tex-Mex Contest
Ingredients:
28-oz. can whole plum tomatoes, including juice
1 sm. white onion, chunked
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ bunch fresh cilantro, washed & stems removed
1 oz. pepper flavored vodka
Add all ingredients, except vodka, to a food processor in the order listed. Pulse a few times to break up larger pieces. Process until desired texture. Stir pepper flavored vodka into the salsa. Taste salsa and, based on personal preference, adjust as necessary. Transfer to a bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or 1 day for best flavor. Serve with tortilla chips; enjoy.
Quick and Easy Fig Jam Appetizer
By Nick Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
Ingredients:
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 jar homemade Fig Jam or favorite store-bought jam
1 box buttery crackers
Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Place on an attractive serving dish. Top with Fig Jam. Serve with buttery crackers
Fig Jam:
4 lbs. figs (12 c. chopped)
1 orange
1 lemon
Rind of 2 lemons, yellow only, NO pith
Rind of 1 orange, orange only, NO pith
Figs: Stem and wash figs; drain in a colander then crush and measure out 5 cups. Peel orange and lemon; finely chop rind and place in a Dutch oven. Chop orange and lemon pulp; set aside. Add water and baking soda to rind; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped orange and lemon juice and pulp, figs and sugar; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Add pectin; return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon. Pour into hot sterilized jars, filling to ¼ inch from top; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands. Adjust two-piece caps and process for 10 minutes in boiling water canner.
Pretty Party Pepper Cups
By Phyllis Bustillos
Alvarado, TX
1st Place – Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. wonton wrappers
1 c. homemade or store-bought pepper jelly
1 (approx. 24-oz.) ctn. jalapeno pimento cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a tart tamper to press wonton wrappers into mini muffin tins. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Using a tablespoon, measure 1 tablespoon of pimento cheese into each wrapper. Return to oven and bake for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top each with 1 teaspoon of pepper jelly. Serve immediately.
Corn and Green Tomato Relish
By Nick Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
2nd Place – Farm to Fork Contest
Ingredients:
2 ½ c. fresh corn kernels (¾ c. yellow corn & ¾ c. white corn)
4 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sugar
2 T. water
1 tsp. vegetable oil
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt + amt. to desired taste when serving
¼ tsp. ground black pepper + amt. to desired taste when serving
1 c. chopped green tomato
½ c. chopped red pepper
½ c. chopped onion
1 sm. jalapeno, diced
Fritos corn chips, Scoops or Blue Corn chips for serving
Shuck corn and remove silks. Wash thoroughly and cut corn from cob; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, water, oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a low boil over medium heat. In a large bowl, stir together corn mixture, tomato, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, and vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving or for up to 3 days. Salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve with corn chips of choice.
Roasted Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Dip
By Brenda J. Simpson
Irving, TX
1st Place – Cooking with Cheese
Ingredients:
3 lg. Jalapeno peppers
1 to 2 tsp salt
1 tsp. Pepper
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
Hot sauce to taste
2 c. sharp yellow Cheddar cheese
2 c. extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese
½ c. mayonnaise
1 c. drained pimentos, finely chopped
½ tsp. onion salt
⅓ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat heat to 425 degrees. Place jalapenos on a sheet pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until skins are blistered, about 15 to 20 minutes. Put jalapenos in a mixing bowl; cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool. When jalapenos are cooled, remove seeds and membranes. Place in a food processor and purée until smooth. Add cream cheese and hot sauce and purée until combined. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add cheeses. Stir in mayonnaise, pimentos, onion salt, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper; mix well. Taste to adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with crackers. Yields 20 servings.
Tex-Mex Zucchini Fritté with Lemon Aioli
By Jill Baker
Little Elm, TX
2nd Place – Tex-Mex Contest
Ingredients:
1½ lbs. zucchini, cut 7 to 8 inches in length, sliced in ¼ inch planks, cut in half if desired
Kosher salt
Pepper
Flour
2 eggs
Buttermilk
2 c. panko bread crumbs
¼ c. flour
¼ c. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 T. sugar,
1 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. taco seasoning
½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Lay planks of zucchini out on a tray. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Triple Dip: Lightly flour each side of zucchini and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Dip in a mixture of 2 eggs and buttermilk. Mix the bread crumbs, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, Parmesan cheese, taco seasoning, cumin and chili powder. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fry at 350 0 until golden. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Just before serving, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
Lemon Aioli:
¾ c. mayonnaise
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. garlic purée
1 T. freshly chopped parsley
½ tsp. taco seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, place all ingredients; mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Northern Lights Stuffed Mushrooms
By Robert R. Cook
Dallas, TX
3rd Place – Cooking with Cheese
Ingredients:
½ sm. yellow onion, chopped
¾ c. chopped carrots
3 ½ c. chicken broth
¼ c. wild rice
¼ c. brown rice
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. Black pepper
12 lg. cremini mushrooms
1 T. olive oil
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1.4 c. shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ c. shredded Muenster cheese
1 ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Place chopped onion and carrots in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely ground. Add mixture to chicken broth along with rice and bring to boil. Remove from heat, add seasoning and stir to combine. Place lid on skillet and place in a preheated 350° oven. Bake until rice is tender. Remove stems from mushrooms and wash mushrooms with warm water. Toss with olive oil and butter and place in an ovenproof dish; bake along with the rice until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to the cooked rice mixture; stir to combine. Fill mushroom caps with rice mixture. Place in a dish with depressed moldings; add cheese mixture over mushroom caps and bake until golden brown and bubbly. If access to the described baking dish is not available to you, replace it with a small diameter muffin pan.
Here at the State Fair of Texas, we pride ourselves on having some of the best food in the Lone Star State, so it’s no surprise that our cookbook recipes are absolutely mouthwatering. If any of these recipes scored a touchdown at your super bowl party, let us know on social media by using the hashtag #BigTex. Happy game day feasting!