With every great football watch party, you can’t forget the large TV, the drinks, friends and family, and what else? THE FOOD! These ribbon-winning recipes from our Creative-Arts Competition kitchen will be one of the highlights of your watch party. Whoever wins the game won’t be the only thing your family and friends remember, as these party foods will be the best touchdown of the night!
BLOODY MARY EGG SALAD SANDWICHES
Jose Arriaga
Rockwall, TX
1st Place–Blue Plate Special
Ingredients:
12 boiled eggs, diced, yolks & whites separated
⅓ c. mayonnaise
Celery salt & pepper to taste
2 T. hot sauce
3 strips bacon, diced
1 T. dill
1 T. diced celery
6 croissants
In a bowl mix egg yolks, mayonnaise, celery salt, pepper and hot sauce until creamy. Fold in diced egg white, bacon and dill until incorporated. Place egg salad in croissants.
CHIPOTLE PECAN CHICKEN
Ellen Ritchie
Saginaw, TX
2nd Place–Texas Pecan Challenge
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 c. Texas pecans
½ c. Panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. parsley flakes
2 T. melted butter
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly beat eggs in a wide bowl or dish. In medium bowl, mix pecans, crumbs, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes and butter to make breading mixture. Be sure that butter is evenly combined. Dip each piece of chicken in egg to coat both sides, then transfer to breading mixture. Press breading firmly onto each piece of chicken. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165° inside. Serve warm with honey goat cheese spread.
Ingredients for Honey Goat Cheese Spread:
4 oz. plain goat cheese
2 T. plain yogurt
2 T. honey
½ tsp. parsley
Mix goat cheese, yogurt, honey and parsley together until smooth and creamy. Serve with chicken.
JALAPEÑO & SAUSAGE CHEESE DIP
Sally Muhl
Sunnyvale, TX
2nd Place–Cheese
Ingredients:
1 lb. spicy pork sausage
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, cubed
4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 (4-oz.) can diced jalapeno peppers, undrained
Chips
In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no pink, breaking it into crumbles. Transfer sausage to slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, chiles and peppers. Cook, covered, on low 3-3 ½ hours or until heated through. Stir before serving. Serve with chips.
JELLO SHOTS
Rex Poland
Dallas, TX 2nd
Place–Speedy Dishes
Traditional Holiday Jello Shots:
2 c. boiling water
2 (3-oz.) pkgs. cranberry Jello
1 c. cold water
8 oz. orange flavored vodka
Bring water to a boil; remove from heat. Dissolve packages of Jello in 2 cups boiling water, stirring for at least 2 minutes until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in ice-cold water and vodka. Pour mixture into shot glasses or a small plastic cups. Let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Caribbean Jello Shots:
1 c. boiling water
1 (3-oz.) pkg. strawberry-banana Jello
1 c. Cruzan banana rum
Bring water to a boil; remove from heat. Dissolve package of Jello in 1 cup boiling water, stirring for at least 2 minutes until gelatin is dissolved; add rum. Pour mixture into shot glasses or paper cups. Let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Lemon Drop Jello Shots:
2 c. boiling water
2 (3-oz.) pkgs. lemon Jello
1 c. chilled lemon vodka or liqueur
Bring water to a boil; remove from heat. Dissolve packages of Jello in 2 cups boiling water, stirring for at least 2 minutes until gelatin is dissolved. Add vodka or liqueur. Pour mixture into shot glasses or small plastic cups. Let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
BEER BATTER TEXAS STINGERS
Robert Baker
Little Elm, TX 1st Place–Speedy Dishes
Tempura batter mix made with beer
Ingredients:
2 T. taco seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
24 fresh jalapenos
2 T. Sriracha
Combine ½ box tempura mix with beer to obtain consistency of pancake batter. Remove the seeds from the peppers. Lay flat and cut into strips; dip in batter. Dredge strips in taco seasoning mix. Fry until coating becomes light to golden. Drain on paper towels. Salt and pepper if needed. Add Sriracha. Can be served with a sauce such as picante or Ranch dip if desired.
TEXAS CHILI
Janice Lohrs
Nevada, TX
1st Place–Tex-Mex
Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon (raw), cut into sm. pieces
1 lg. onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded & diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ½ T. chili powder
1 ½ T. ground cumin
1 ½ T. paprika
½ -1 ½ T. chipotle powder (use 1 ½ T. if you like it spicy)
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cayenne powder, opt.
3 lbs. ground beef
1 can Coke
1 (14-oz.) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (14-oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
1 (24-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (24-oz.) can diced tomatoes
Cook diced bacon over medium heat in large saucepan or non-stick Dutch oven. When bacon is almost cooked, add diced onion and peppers and cook until softened. Add chopped garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, chipotle powder, dried oregano, salt and cayenne powder. Cook a minute or two until mixture is aromatic. Add ground beef to bacon and onion mixture. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Pour in a can of Coke, rinsed and drained beans, crushed tomatoes with juice and diced tomatoes with their juice. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 ½ hours. Add a little water, if necessary. The first hour, stir pot every 10-15 minutes, and the last 30 minutes, stir pot every 5-10 minutes. May need to stir more often, depending on your pot and temperature of your burner. Salt to taste.